聞こえる・きこえる (be audible)

• Reading: きこえる
• Romaji: kikoeru
• Formation: (Person + に/は +) Sound + が + 聞こえる
• Kanji breakdown: 聞 (bun/ki) = hear, listen

Meaning

Expresses that a sound is naturally and spontaneously audible to someone. The sound source is marked with が, indicating that hearing happens passively without the listener's deliberate effort.

Parallel to 見える for sight, 聞こえる describes sounds that reach the listener naturally — birdsong drifting in through a window, music coming from a neighbour's room, or a voice carrying across a hallway. It contrasts with 聞く, which means to listen actively or to ask. Because the hearing is involuntary, the experiencer takes に or は rather than being the grammatical subject. 聞こえる can also describe how something sounds in quality: 彼の声は優しく聞こえる (his voice sounds gentle). The negative 聞こえない is commonly used to indicate that something is too quiet or unclear to hear.

Examples

1. 隣の部屋から音楽が聞こえる。 I can hear music from the next room.
2. 鳥の声が聞こえますか。 Can you hear the birds singing?
3. 電話の声がよく聞こえません。 I can't hear the voice on the phone very well.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 川の流れる音が聞こえる。
• その話は嘘に聞こえます。
• もう少し大きい声で話してください。聞こえません。

Don't Say

• 音楽を聞こえる。(Using を instead of が — the audible thing takes が because hearing is spontaneous) → 音楽が聞こえる。
• 私がラジオが聞こえる。(Using が for the listener — the listener takes は or に, not が) → 私にはラジオが聞こえる。
• この曲を聞こえたい。(Adding たい to 聞こえる — spontaneous verbs do not take volitional forms; use 聞きたい instead) → この曲を聞きたい。

Origin & History

Derived from 聞く (to hear/listen) with the spontaneous suffix える, forming a perception verb that indicates involuntary hearing. The kanji 聞 depicts an ear at a gate, suggesting sounds reaching the ear.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal