the world's premier FREE website for learners + teachers of English

hear of

This page is about the phrasal verb hear of.

Meaning: If you've heard of someone, you know who they are and what they do.

For example:

  • have heard of sb/sth We met people in the jungles of Borneo who had never watched TV or read a newspaper, and they'd never heard of Barack Obama.

  • have heard of sb/sth I've never met anyone who hasn't heard of Michael Jackson.

Note: Usually used in one of the perfect tenses, such as "Have you heard of ...?" or "I had never heard of ..."

Quick Quiz:

Nearly everyone in England has heard of Wayne Rooney. They

a. have seen him on TV

b. have met him

c. know him well

Phrasal verbs grammar

1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context ebook

Phrasal Verb of the Day

This entry is in the following categories:

Contributor: Matt Errey