Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To hear that, to be told that: Expresses receiving information from others, indicating that the speaker is reporting something they have heard from another source, not necessarily from direct experience or confirmation.
   • It is said that, They say that: Used to introduce a statement that is rumored or commonly believed, often implying the information is secondhand.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Tôi nghe nói anh ấy sắp chuyển đi thành phố khác. (I heard that he is about to move to another city.)
  • Nghe nói nhà hàng mới ở góc phố rất ngon. (It is said that the new restaurant on the corner is very good.)
  • Cô ấy nghe nói công ty sẽ có chính sách mới. (She was told that the company will have a new policy.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nghe nói đâu như là...": Heard somewhere that... (Used when the source of information is vague or uncertain).

  • Nghe nói đâu như là kỳ nghỉ sẽ bị hoãn lại. (Heard somewhere that the holiday will be postponed.)

• "Nghe nói vậy thôi": Just saying what I heard / That's just what I heard (Used to distance oneself from the truthfulness of the statement).

  • Tôi không chắc, chỉ nghe nói vậy thôi. (I'm not sure, I'm just saying what I heard.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nghe đồn (verb phrase): To hear a rumor, to hear tell. Often interchangeable with "nghe nói" but can carry a slightly stronger connotation of unverified gossip.

  • Mọi người nghe đồn về một vụ scandal. (People are hearing rumors about a scandal.)

• Đồn rằng (verb phrase): It is rumored that. A more formal or literary variant.

  • Đồn rằng ông ấy đã trúng số. (It is rumored that he won the lottery.)

Synonyms

• Nghe thấy nói: To hear it said (similar meaning, slightly more emphasis on the act of hearing).
• Nghe bảo: To be told (informal, similar to "nghe nói").

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Nghe ra nói vào: To listen to this and say that / To engage in gossip (Idiomatic phrase meaning to participate in hearsay and gossip).
  • Đừng nghe ra nói vào chuyện của người khác. (Don't engage in gossip about other people's business.)

Related Idioms

• Tai nghe mắt thấy: To hear with your own ears and see with your own eyes (Meaning to have direct, firsthand experience, often contrasted with just "nghe nói").
  • Đừng tin lời đồn, phải tai nghe mắt thấy mới được. (Don't believe rumors, you must hear and see it for yourself.)

1. It is said that