To perceive a sound or noise with one's hearing.
Natural examples
Aus dem Flur vernahm sie leise Schritte.
She heard quiet footsteps in the hallway.
Der Musiker vernahm einen falschen Ton im Orchester.
The musician heard a wrong note in the orchestra.
In der Ferne war ein Ruf zu vernehmen.
A call could be heard in the distance.
Usage note
In this elevated sense, vernehmen is transitive and strong. Everyday speech usually uses hören; another sense is to question someone officially.
Mini-lesson: vernehmen
To perceive a sound or noise with one's hearing. In this elevated sense, vernehmen is transitive and strong. Everyday speech usually uses hören; another sense is to question someone officially.
Check your learning
Choose one answer.Which definition matches «vernehmen»?
