1.
familiarity from hearing, recognition by ear
The sense that one has heard something before — a voice, a name, a melody, or a phrase. Used when something sounds familiar even if one cannot pinpoint when or where it was heard.
聞き覚えのある声だった。
It was a voice I recognized.
その名前には聞き覚えがある。
That name sounds familiar to me.
聞き覚えのあるメロディーが流れてきて、懐かしい気持ちになった。
A familiar melody started playing, and I felt nostalgic.
USAGE:
The most common patterns are 聞き覚えがある (to sound familiar / to recognize from hearing) and 聞き覚えのある + noun (a familiar-sounding ~). The negative 聞き覚えがない means something is not familiar at all.
Compare with the visual equivalent 見覚え (recognition by sight / visual familiarity).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 聞き覚えがある: to sound familiar
- 聞き覚えがない: to not sound familiar at all
- 聞き覚えのある声: a familiar voice
- 聞き覚えのある名前: a familiar-sounding name