足あし音おと

あ

し

お

と

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

footsteps; sound of footsteps

Refers to the sound made by walking or running. Often used in expressions like 足音が聞こえる or 足音を立てる.

廊ろう下かから誰だれかの足あし音おとが聞きこえた。
I heard someone's footsteps from the hallway.
彼かれは足あし音おとを立たてないようにそっと歩あるいた。
He walked quietly so as not to make any footsteps.

noun

approaching sign; harbinger

Figurative use: a sign or sense that something (often an event or change) is drawing near. Common in phrases like ～の足音が聞こえる.

春はるの足あし音おとが聞きこえてきた。
I can sense spring approaching.
戦せん争そうの足あし音おとが近ちかづいていると人ひと々びとは感かんじていた。
People felt that the footsteps of war were drawing near.

See all 58 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

足あし音おとがするto hear the sound of footsteps
誰だれかの足あし音おとがした。
I heard the sound of someone's footsteps.
〈事こと〉の足あし音おとが聞きこえるto sense that something (an event, change, season, etc.) is approaching
もう春はるの足あし音おとが聞きこえる。
Signs of spring are already in the air.
足あし音おとが近ちかづくfootsteps draw near
廊ろう下かの足あし音おとが近ちかづいてきた。
The footsteps in the hallway got closer.
足あし音おとが遠とおざかるfootsteps recede into the distance
彼かれの足あし音おとが遠とおざかっていった。
His footsteps faded away into the distance.

Expressions

足あし音おとを殺ころしてwith hushed footsteps; stealthily; quietly
足あし音おとを立たてるwalk noisily; make footsteps audible
足あし音おとを忍しのばせてwith stealthy steps; on tiptoe; stealthily

Kanji

足leg, foot, be sufficient
音sound, noise
跫sound of footsteps

Related words

物もの音おとN3sense 1
足音 specifically means the sound of footsteps, whereas 物音 is a general term for any noise, including but not limited to footsteps.
気け配はいN2sense 2
足音 in its figurative sense refers to an approaching sign likened to the sound of footsteps, while 気配 is the broader, more common word for any sensed presence or indication.
靴くつ音おと sense 1
足音 covers the sound of footsteps in general, while 靴音 narrows this to the specific sound of shoes clicking or tapping on a surface.

Don't confuse with

足あし跡あとN2sense 1
足音 is the sound of footsteps as someone walks, while 足跡 is the physical footprint or trace left behind after walking.

Counted with

回かいN4
Used when counting occurrences of footsteps/sounds, not the physical feet themselves.

Built from

足あし+音おと

Written forms

足あし音おとUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and common usage.
跫音あしおと
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
跫あしおと
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used single-kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 足 (あし, 'foot') and 音 (おと, 'sound'). The figurative sense developed from the literal meaning of hearing footsteps as a sign of someone's approach.