Hörensagen

German

Etymology

From Middle High German hœrsagen (14th c.). Equivalent to hören (“to hear”) +‎ sagen (“to say”). Compare English hearsay, which is of similar age.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhøːrənˌzaːɡən/, [ˈhøː.ʁənˌzaː.ɡŋ̍], [ˈhøː.ɐn-], [ˈhøːɐ̯n-], [ˈhœɐ̯n-], [-ɡən]

• audio

  (file)

Noun

Hörensagen n (strong, genitive Hörensagens, no plural)

1. hearsay; report; that which one has heard from others

   Ich kenne den Film vom Hörensagen.

   I know the film by hearsay.

   (I've heard people talk about it, but haven't seen it.)

   Das ist doch reines Hörensagen!

   That is nothing but hearsay!

   Ich kann mich in dieser Sache nicht aufs Hörensagen verlassen.

   I can't rely on hearsay in this matter.

   • 2000, “Da Draussen”, in Fettes Brot für die Welt, performed by Fettes Brot:

     Du hast nicht die leiseste Ahnung / Kennst das alles nur vom Hörensagen

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• The noun is used chiefly in the prepositional phrase vom Hörensagen (“by hearsay”), less commonly also durchs Hörensagen. Freer use is not impossible, as shown above; however, in many contexts where English hearsay is used, the German word would not be idiomatic. For example, Don't believe hearsay! should rather be rendered as Glaub doch keine Gerüchte!, or kein Gerede!, or the like.

Declension

Declension of Hörensagen [sg-only, neuter, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Hörensagen
genitive	eines	des	Hörensagens
dative	einem	dem	Hörensagen
accusative	ein	das	Hörensagen

Related terms

• weitersagen

Further reading

• “Hörensagen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Hörensagen” in Duden online