The pattern

"I've heard that" plus a full sentence shares information you got from someone else. "I've heard that the new cafe is good" means you haven't been, but people say so. It is a useful distance: you can pass on news, reviews and rumors without claiming they are facts.

It is also a polite way to start a conversation. "I've heard you're moving to Singapore" opens the topic and invites the other person to confirm or correct. The "that" is optional in speech: "I've heard you're moving" is just as natural.

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

  6. Said flatly, it means "I don't believe you". Tone is everything.

  7. Simple past "I heard" is just as common in American speech for recent news.

  9. "Heard of" means you know it exists. "Heard about" means you know the news.

Check yourself

1"I've heard that the cafe is good" tells the listener...
2What is the difference between "heard of" and "heard about"?
3Which is a friendly conversation opener?

Practice · 3 min

Pass on what people say. Prompt on the left, one natural sentence on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.