French · Everyday Verbs
"to hear" in French: entendre
entendre
To hear in French is entendre. J'entends un bruit means I hear a noise. Tu m'entends ? checks if someone can hear you — not the same as listening carefully (écouter).
Noisy café
J'entends à peine ce que tu dis.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce entendre
Say it
ahn-TAHN-druh
/ɑ̃.tɑ̃.dʁ/
Entendre is ahn-TAHN-druh with nasal en. J'entends is zhahn-TAHN.
"to hear" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| entendre | to hear Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| j'entends | I hear Present. | Present. |
| Tu m'entends ? | Can you hear me? Call or crowd check. | Call or crowd check. |
| mal entendre | to hear poorly Hard of hearing context. | Hard of hearing context. |
How to use entendre in real life
- 1Noisy café
J'entends à peine ce que tu dis.
I can barely hear what you're saying.
J'entends.
- 2Phone call
Tu m'entends maintenant ?
Can you hear me now?
Tu m'entends ?
- 3Night apartment
Tu entends ce bruit dehors ?
Do you hear that noise outside?
Tu entends.
Mistakes English speakers make with entendre
Incorrect: J'écoute un bruit strange sans vouloir.
Correct: J'entends un bruit bizarre.
Passive perception uses entendre; écouter is deliberate listening.
Incorrect: I hear you dit only in English.
Correct: Je t'entends.
Use entendre.
Good to know
Entendre can also mean to understand in some set phrases (s'entendre avec quelqu'un = get along), but the core sense here is hearing.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
A bad phone connection
ChatPal
Allô ? Tu m'entends ?
Hello? Can you hear me?
You
Oui, je t'entends un peu mieux.
Yes, I can hear you a bit better.
ChatPal
Je change d'endroit.
I'll move somewhere else.
You
Ok, reste près de la fenêtre.
Okay, stay near the window.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to hear" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to hear" in French
How do you say to hear in French?
Entendre.
How do you say can you hear me?
Tu m'entends ?
What's the difference with écouter?
Entendre is hearing; écouter is listening on purpose.
How do you say I hear a noise?
J'entends un bruit.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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