1.
sound, noise
A sound made by something, especially an unexpected or unidentified noise.
夜中に物音がして目が覚めた。
I woke up because of a noise in the middle of the night.
物音ひとつしない静かな夜だった。
It was a quiet night without a single sound.
隣の部屋から物音が聞こえる。
I can hear sounds from the next room.
物音 refers to an unidentified or unexpected sound — the kind of noise that catches your attention because you don't immediately know what caused it. Composed of 物 (thing) + 音 (sound).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 物音がする: a sound is heard (something makes a noise)
- 物音を立てる: to make a noise
- 物音ひとつしない: not a single sound (emphasizes complete silence)
- 物音に気づく: to notice a sound
USAGE:
Often used in stories and descriptions of quiet or tense situations — hearing a noise at night, silence in a room, etc. It has a slightly mysterious or uneasy nuance.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 音: sound (general, neutral — includes music, alarms, etc.)
- 騒音: noise (loud, disturbing, unwanted)
- 物音: noise (unidentified, draws attention)