Definition
耳闻 is a formal/literary verb meaning 'to hear about' or 'to learn of through word of mouth.' It emphasizes that you only know something by hearing it, not from direct experience, and is often contrasted with 目睹 (to see with one's own eyes) in the set phrase 耳闻不如一见. Unlike the everyday word 听说 (to hear that), 耳闻 is used for more deliberate, often important information and can carry a nuance of hearsay. As a verb, it can take an object (earn something) or be used with 过 and 了.
v.
to hear aboutto learn of through hearsay (formal/literary)
Examples
- 耳闻，。Wǒ ěr wén guò zhè jiàn shì, dàn bú tài qīngchu xìjié.I've heard about this matter, but I'm not too clear on the details.
- 耳闻。Tā ěr wén le xǔduō guānyú nà ge dìfang de chuánshuō.He heard many legends about that place.
- 耳闻，。ěr wén bùrú yí jiàn, nǐ háishì zìjǐ qù kànkan ba.Hearing about it is not as good as seeing it in person — you should go see for yourself.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.