hearsay
Loading your saved state.
by hearsay
Refers to information that you do not have from your own experience or from a direct source, but have only heard from other people. Such information is often considered unconfirmed and potentially unreliable.
Ich kenne die Details nur vom Hörensagen, kann also nicht garantieren, dass alles stimmt.
I know the details only by hearsay, so I can't guarantee that everything is true.
The word is composed of the verbs 'hören' (to hear) and 'sagen' (to say). So it literally describes knowledge that you have only by hearing what other people say.
Seine Behauptung basiert nur auf Hörensagen.
His claim is based only on hearsay.
This word is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'vom Hörensagen' (by hearsay). It always appears with the preposition 'vom'.
Ich kenne ihn nur vom Hörensagen.
I know him only by hearsay.
The expression 'vom Hörensagen' (by hearsay) is very often combined with the verbs 'kennen' (to know/be familiar with) or 'wissen' (to know) to express that you do not have direct information.
Ich weiß nur vom Hörensagen, dass er umgezogen ist.
I know only by hearsay that he has moved.
rumor
A Gerücht is unconfirmed information that is passed on. Hörensagen, by contrast, emphasizes that someone knows something only from other people and not from their own experience or a direct source. Information based on Hörensagen can also be a Gerücht.
Von der möglichen Schließung der Abteilung weiß ich nur vom Hörensagen.
I know about the possible closure of the department only through hearsay.
Im Betrieb verbreitet sich das Gerücht, dass die Abteilung geschlossen wird.
The rumor is spreading at the company that the department will be closed.
