What Does “Hear sth from sb” Mean?
“Hear sth from sb” means to receive information or news from someone. It is commonly used when you learn something directly from a person.
Introduction
The phrase “hear sth from sb” is a useful expression in English that means getting information, news, or updates directly from a person. The “sth” stands for “something,” and “sb” stands for “somebody.” This phrase is often used when you want to talk about receiving news or messages from someone personally. Understanding the “hear sth from sb meaning” helps learners communicate more naturally when discussing how they found out about events, opinions, or updates. It is a common and simple way to express that you have been told something by a specific person.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Hear something from somebody
- Type: Transitive
- Level: A2–B1 (Elementary to Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To receive information directly from a person
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Hear sth from sb” is a transitive phrase where “hear” is the verb, “something” (sth) is the object, and “from somebody” (sb) indicates the source. This phrase is inseparable, meaning you cannot separate “hear” and “from somebody.”
Patterns:
- hear + something + from + somebody
- hear + news/information + from + a person
How to Use “Hear sth from sb”?
Use this phrase when you want to mention that you received information directly from a specific person. It is often followed by the information received, such as news, updates, or messages. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Example: “I heard the news from my friend yesterday.”
Examples
Imagine you want to say that you learned about a party from a classmate. You can say:
- I heard about the party from Sarah last night.
- Did you hear the latest update from the manager?
- She heard some exciting news from her brother.
- We heard the decision from the director this morning.
- He heard about the job opening from his colleague.
These examples show how “hear sth from sb” in a sentence refers to receiving information directly from someone.
Common Mistakes
People sometimes use incorrect word order or omit parts of the phrase, which causes confusion.
- Incorrect: I heard from the news him.
- Correct: I heard the news from him.
- Incorrect: Did you hear him from the update?
- Correct: Did you hear the update from him?
Differences / Synonyms
“Hear sth from sb” is similar to “get news from sb” or “receive information from sb,” but it specifically emphasizes the act of listening or being told by someone.
Compare with:
- Find out: Means discovering information, not necessarily directly from a person.
- Learn from: Often implies gaining knowledge or skills, not just hearing news.
- Hear about: Means to hear news or information, but not necessarily from a specific person.
“Hear sth from sb” focuses on the source being a particular person.
Common Collocations
We often hear specific types of information from people. Common collocations include:
- hear news from sb – receive news
- hear updates from sb – get the latest information
- hear stories from sb – listen to personal accounts
- hear advice from sb – receive suggestions or guidance
- hear complaints from sb – be told about problems or dissatisfaction
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of hear sth from sb:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “hear sth from sb”:
Anna: Have you heard anything about the meeting?
Ben: Yes, I heard from Mark that it’s been postponed.
Anna: Oh, thanks! I was wondering when it would happen.
Practice
Try filling in the blanks with the correct words:
- I ______ the good news ______ my sister yesterday.
- Did you ______ anything ______ the manager?
- She ______ a lot of interesting stories ______ her grandmother.
Answers: heard / from, hear / from, heard / from
FAQs
- Q: Can I use “hear sth from sb” in formal writing?
A: Yes, it is acceptable in both formal and informal contexts. - Q: What does “sth” and “sb” mean?
A: “sth” means “something” and “sb” means “somebody.” - Q: Is “hear from sb” the same as “hear sth from sb”?
A: “Hear from sb” means receiving any communication, while “hear sth from sb” specifies the information received. - Q: Can I say “hear about sth from sb”?
A: Yes, it is correct and means receiving information about something from a person. - Q: Is “hear sth from sb” separable?
A: No, the phrase is inseparable; “from sb” must follow the object.
