Entendre is the most common way to say "to hear" in French. But did you know there are many other nuances and expressions you can use?

As you deepen your French understanding, you'll discover that knowing these different ways to express "to hear" will enrich your conversations and comprehension.

Let's explore 9 different ways to say "to hear" in French, from the simple to the more idiomatic!

The standard 'to hear' – entendre

Entendre is the most basic and common verb for 'to hear' in French.

At its core, entendre refers to the act of perceiving sound through your ears. It often implies a passive reception of sound, meaning you simply become aware of a sound without necessarily actively focusing on it.

As a regular -re verb, entendre follows a predictable conjugation pattern, making it relatively easy to master once you know the basics of -re verbs.

Beyond just 'to hear,' entendre can also mean 'to understand' or 'to grasp,' especially when referring to something that has been said or implied. For example, 'J'entends ce que tu dis' means 'I understand what you're saying.'

When used in its reflexive form, s'entendre takes on different meanings. It can mean 'to hear each other' (e.g., 'On s'entend bien au téléphone' - 'We hear each other well on the phone') or, very commonly, 'to get along with someone' (e.g., 'Ils s'entendent bien' - 'They get along well').

One of the most important distinctions for learners is between entendre and écouter. Entendre is about the ability to perceive sound (passive hearing), while écouter means 'to listen actively' or 'to pay attention to sounds.' Think of it as entendre = 'to hear' and écouter = 'to listen.'

You'll also encounter entendre in various expressions: faire entendre (to make oneself heard, to express), entendre dire que (to hear that, to hear it said that), and entendre parler de (to hear about someone/something).

As with many French verbs, the precise meaning of entendre often depends heavily on the context. Paying attention to the surrounding words and the overall situation will help you determine if it means 'to hear,' 'to understand,' or 'to get along.'

💡 * J'entends le chant des oiseaux. (I hear the birds singing.)

Tu entends ce que je dis ? (Do you understand what I'm saying? / Do you hear what I'm saying?)

Ils s'entendent très bien avec leurs voisins. (They get along very well with their neighbors.)

J'ai entendu dire qu'il allait pleuvoir demain. (I heard it's going to rain tomorrow.)

Le professeur a fait entendre son désaccord. (The teacher made his disagreement heard.)

The 'to listen' (often implying hearing) – écouter

The verb écouter in French primarily means 'to listen'. However, it often carries the subtle implication of 'to hear' when the act of listening is passive or unintentional, or when focusing on the result of hearing.

While écouter implies an active, intentional act of listening, it can also be used in contexts where English might use 'to hear', especially when the sound is being received, even if not intensely focused upon. The verb entendre, on the other hand, strictly means 'to hear' and denotes the physical perception of sound, regardless of intent.

When you are actively paying attention to something, like music, a conversation, or a podcast, you use écouter. It emphasizes the deliberate act of receiving and processing auditory information.

Consider a scenario where you are in a room and sounds are reaching your ears. You might say J'écoute la radio (I'm listening to the radio), even if you're not intensely focused, implying the radio is on and its sounds are being received. If you want to emphasize the mere act of sound reaching your ears, entendre would be more precise, but écouter can sometimes bridge this gap in common speech.

Écouter is a transitive verb, meaning it generally takes a direct object without a preposition. For example, écouter de la musique (to listen to music) or écouter quelqu'un (to listen to someone).

Écouter is a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward. Its past participle is écouté.

💡 * J'écoute de la musique classique. (I listen to classical music.)

Elle écoute attentivement son professeur. (She listens attentively to her teacher.)

Nous écoutons les nouvelles tous les matins. (We listen to the news every morning.)

As-tu écouté ce que j'ai dit ? (Did you listen to what I said? / Did you hear what I said?)

Ils écoutent la radio en travaillant. (They listen to the radio while working.)

The 'to perceive' (can involve hearing) – percevoir

The French verb percevoir translates most directly to 'to perceive' in English. It implies a cognitive understanding or awareness gained through the senses or intellect.

While 'to perceive' is broad, percevoir is frequently used in contexts where you 'perceive' something by hearing it, often with the nuance of registering or understanding what is heard, rather than just the physical act of hearing (like entendre).

Percevoir is an irregular verb, belonging to the same group as recevoir (to receive) and décevoir (to disappoint). Its conjugation follows a similar pattern, which is important to remember for various tenses.

Beyond sensory input, percevoir can also be used to describe perceiving abstract concepts, changes, or nuances. For example, 'to perceive a change in attitude' or 'to perceive a threat'.

It's crucial to distinguish percevoir from entendre (to hear). Entendre refers to the physical act of hearing sound, whereas percevoir implies a deeper understanding or recognition of what is heard or sensed.

💡 * Il a perçu un léger bruit dans la nuit. (He perceived/heard a slight noise in the night.)

Je perçois une certaine tension dans la pièce. (I perceive a certain tension in the room.)

Elle n'a pas perçu l'ironie dans ses paroles. (She didn't perceive/understand the irony in his words.)

Nous percevons tous les changements climatiques. (We all perceive/are aware of climate changes.)

The 'to learn' or 'to hear news' – apprendre

The verb apprendre in French means "to learn" or, in certain contexts, "to hear news" or "to find out". It is a regular -RE verb in its conjugation pattern, though its past participle is irregular.

Its most common usage is to express the act of acquiring knowledge or a skill, similar to "to learn" in English. It can be followed by a direct object (what is learned) or an infinitive verb (how to do something).

Apprendre can also mean "to hear news" or "to find out" information. In this sense, it is often followed by a subordinate clause introduced by que (that) or by a noun phrase referring to the information.

When apprendre means "to learn from someone," it is followed by the preposition de. For example, apprendre de ses erreurs (to learn from one's mistakes). When learning how to do something, it is often followed by à + infinitive.

💡 * J'apprends le français. (I am learning French.)

Nous avons appris à nager l'été dernier. (We learned to swim last summer.)

J'ai appris que tu déménageais. (I heard that you were moving / I found out that you were moving.)

Il a appris la nouvelle par son ami. (He heard the news from his friend.)

Les enfants apprennent vite. (Children learn quickly.)

The 'to be aware of' or 'to have heard about' – être au courant de

The 'to be aware of' or 'to have heard about' – être au courant de

Être au courant de is a widely used French expression meaning 'to be aware of,' 'to be informed about,' or 'to have heard about' something.

This phrase is primarily used when you want to convey that you possess knowledge regarding a specific piece of information, a situation, or recent news. It implies being updated or 'in the loop'.

The preposition de (or d' before a vowel) is essential, linking the phrase to the object of awareness. For instance, you'd say être au courant de quelque chose (to be aware of something) or être au courant de la situation (to be aware of the situation).

While savoir simply means 'to know a fact,' être au courant de often suggests that the information is recent, shared, or that one has been specifically informed. It carries a sense of 'being up-to-date' rather than just possessing a piece of knowledge.

You'll frequently encounter this phrase in questions like 'Es-tu au courant ?' (Are you aware/up-to-date?) or in statements confirming knowledge about current events, plans, or gossip.

💡 * Es-tu au courant de la nouvelle réunion demain ? (Are you aware of the new meeting tomorrow?)

Je ne suis pas au courant de ce problème. (I am not aware of this problem.)

Elle est toujours au courant des dernières nouvelles. (She is always aware of the latest news.)

Il faut que tu sois au courant de la situation avant de décider. (You need to be aware of the situation before deciding.)

Nous sommes au courant de tes plans de voyage. (We are aware of your travel plans.)

The 'to get wind of' or 'to hear a rumor' – avoir vent de

The French idiom avoir vent de literally translates to “to have wind of”. This evocative phrase is the perfect way to express “to get wind of”, “to hear a rumor”, or “to catch wind of” something, implying that information has been received indirectly or unofficially.

When you avez vent de something, it means you've heard about it, often a secret, a piece of gossip, or an impending event, but not through official channels. It suggests the information has traveled to you like the wind – subtly and perhaps without a clear source.

The idiom is constructed with the verb avoir (to have) conjugated according to the subject, followed by vent (wind), and then de (of) + the noun or pronoun representing the information. For example, J'ai eu vent de cette histoire (I got wind of this story).

Unlike simply entendre (to hear), avoir vent de carries the nuance of discovering something that wasn't meant to be widely known, or information that is still unconfirmed. It’s often used in contexts of intrigue, surprise, or unofficial disclosure.

💡 *J'ai eu vent de ton départ. C'est vrai ? (I got wind of your departure. Is it true?)
*Il a eu vent de l'affaire par un ami. (He heard about the matter through a friend.)
*N'aie pas vent de nos projets ! (Don't get wind of our plans!)
*Nous avons eu vent d'une nouvelle politique à venir. (We got wind of a new policy coming.)

The 'to hear about' – entendre parler de

The French phrase entendre parler de is a common idiom used to express 'to hear about' or 'to hear of' something or someone.

This expression signifies that you have received information or knowledge concerning a subject, person, or event, usually through conversation or indirectly, rather than experiencing it firsthand.

It follows the structure entendre parler de + [noun/pronoun]. The verb entendre is conjugated according to the subject, while parler remains in the infinitive.

💡 * J'ai entendu parler de ton voyage en Italie. (I heard about your trip to Italy.)

As-tu déjà entendu parler de ce restaurant ? (Have you ever heard about this restaurant?)

Elle n'avait jamais entendu parler d'une telle histoire. (She had never heard about such a story.)

Nous avons entendu parler de leur succès. (We heard about their success.)

Ils ont entendu parler de la nouvelle, mais ne savaient pas les détails. (They heard about the news, but didn't know the details.)

The 'to lend an ear' or 'to listen carefully' – prêter l'oreille

The 'to lend an ear' or 'to listen carefully' – prêter l'oreille

The French idiom prêter l'oreille literally translates to 'to lend the ear,' and it means 'to listen carefully' or 'to pay attention to what is being said.' It implies an active and deliberate act of listening.

This expression is used when someone is actively making an effort to hear or understand something, often because it's quiet, important, or intriguing. It suggests a conscious focus of one's hearing, sometimes discreetly.

The verb prêter means 'to lend' or 'to loan.' In this idiom, l'oreille (the ear) is the direct object, forming a common fixed expression. It's a useful phrase to describe attentive listening.

💡 * Il faut prêter l'oreille pour entendre ce qu'ils disent. (One must listen carefully to hear what they are saying.)

Elle a prêté l'oreille à la conversation des voisins. (She listened carefully to the neighbors' conversation.)

Prête l'oreille, j'ai quelque chose d'important à te dire. (Lend an ear, I have something important to tell you.)

Les enfants prêtaient l'oreille à l'histoire de leur grand-mère. (The children listened carefully to their grandmother's story.)

The archaic 'to hear' – ouïr

While entendre is the standard French verb for 'to hear' in everyday conversation, you might occasionally encounter ouïr. This verb is largely archaic, meaning it is no longer in common use.

Ouïr primarily belongs to older forms of French, particularly literature, legal texts, or very formal and traditional expressions. It's rare to hear it spoken in modern, casual conversation.

The key difference is usage: entendre is the active, current verb for 'to hear,' while ouïr evokes a sense of listening or perceiving sound, often with a more passive or formal nuance, and is almost always replaced by entendre today.

Although rare, ouïr does persist in a few specific contexts. One common derivative is the noun ouïe, which means 'hearing' (as a sense) or 'gill' (for fish). You might also see its past participle, ouï, in legal or very formal phrases, often meaning 'heard' or 'having heard'.

As an irregular verb, ouïr has complex conjugations that are rarely learned by French students today due to its obsolescence. Focus on mastering entendre for all your 'to hear' needs.

💡 * J'ai ouï dire que la réunion a été annulée. (I've heard it said that the meeting was canceled.)

Le conseil a ouï les arguments des deux parties avant de prendre une décision. (The council heard the arguments of both parties before making a decision.)

Dans les vieux contes, on ouïssait souvent des voix mystérieuses. (In old tales, one often heard mysterious voices.)

Il est peu probable d'ouïr ce verbe dans une conversation moderne. (It is unlikely to hear this verb in a modern conversation.)

Are there other ways to say 'to hear' in French?

Our article focuses on the primary ways to say 'to hear' in French, mainly entendre and écouter. However, the French language, like any other, is rich with nuances. You might encounter other verbs, some more formal, some more informal or regional, that express similar ideas.

To delve deeper, you could try an online search for phrases like 'synonymes de entendre' or 'comment dire entendre en argot' to find more colloquial expressions, or even 'entendre régionalismes' for terms used in specific Francophone areas.

When you discover new verbs or expressions, always make sure to look up their precise definitions and, more importantly, observe how native speakers use them in different contexts. This will help you understand their appropriate usage.

As you continue to immerse yourself in French media — watching films, listening to music, or reading books — pay close attention. You'll likely pick up on various ways people express the act of 'hearing' or 'listening' that go beyond the basic verbs.

For a comprehensive exploration of verbs related to 'hearing' and 'listening,' including their nuances and idiomatic expressions, the WordReference entry for entendre or écouter is an excellent starting point.

I hope this article has clarified the main ways to say 'to hear' in French. To conclude, here's a thought from André Gide that speaks to the importance of truly listening: 'Il faut écouter le vent qui souffle, et non pas le bruit des feuilles qui tombent.' (One must listen to the wind that blows, not the sound of falling leaves.)

9 ways to say "to hear" in French