How to say: it sounds weird to me?

How to say "that sounds weird"? E.g. "She said that she's sick", and snother replies "that sounds weird". Is it "hen ni kikoemasu"? Thank you!

You mean like you just met her an hour ago so you know she can't be sick (factually impossible)? Then I would say:

- Hen desu. (That's strange.) Sakki kanojo ni aimashita. (I just met her a while back.)

I hope you will not use it in practice :) because it is not really appropriate to say unless with friends

"Hen desu" does have a bit of a harsh tone to it. You could also go with "Okashii ne." "Okashii" also means "unusual" or "strange," but has a bit softer feel than "hen."

Personally, I'd probably go one step softer still and use "Fushigi desu." "Fushigi" literally means "mysterious," but has a slightly more colloquial feel in Japanese. Unlike "hen," which would carry a connotation of "that's strange and can't be true, so whoever said she's sick is mistaken/lying," using "fushigi" would give a bit more of a nuance of "I understand what you're saying, but I don't understand how that would be possible."

As for the "it sounds" part of "it sound weird to me," that's something that a native Japanese speaker wouldn't include. While your initial idea of "Hen ni kikoemasu" would literally translate as "It sound weird," that phrase in Japanese is used more to talk about the actual sounds, not the intended message. For example, if you were talking to someone on the phone and their voice was distorted, you could say "Koe wo hen ni kikoemasu."

However, as AK pointed out, after using "Fushigi/okashii/hen desu," you'll want to follow up with the reason why you think the statement is strange, whether that's because you just saw her and she was fine, the reason given for her sickness doesn't make sense, etc.

Is it always "...ni kikoemasu"? I would like to have examples with i, na adjectives and verbs and nouns. Thank you!

Is it always "...ni kikoemasu"? I would like to have examples with i, na adjectives and verbs and nouns. Thank you!

Thank you for the answers! Thanks for a proper explanation!

So, do you use kikoeru verb literally with objects or things that causes noise, not actually meaning something figuratively? "Sounds good". Or if you could provide example sentences by using kikoeru verb. Thanks!

Thank you for the answers! Thanks for a proper explanation!

So, do you use kikoeru verb literally with objects or things that causes noise, not actually meaning something figuratively? "Sounds good". Or if you could provide example sentences by using kikoeru verb. Thanks!

「So, do you use kikoeru verb literally with objects or things that causes noise, not actually meaning something figuratively?」

Generally speaking, yeah that's how it works. As with a lot of things in language, there are some exceptions, but generally speaking verbs like "sounds" and "looks," which in English can be used to express an overall mental impression, are used in a more literal sense in Japanese.

「〜ni kikoeru」 and 「〜ni mieru」 are usually used to describe the actual sound or appearance of things. So if your friend tells you an idea, like "Let's get a beer at that new bar on Saturday night!" and you wanted to say "That sounds good!" you wouldn't say "Yoku ni kikoemasu." You'd say something like "Ii dese ne!" or "Yosasou da ne." The casual emphasizer "ne" sort of fills the role that "sounds" would in English, since it sort of personalizes the statement and makes it extra-clear that's it's your personal impression.

「example sentences by using kikoeru verb.」

Again, kikoeru is generally used to describe the actual sound of something. Let's say you invite Hanako to go to a party, and she says "Ikitai"/"I want to go."

But something about their tone of voice makes you think she doesn't really want to go. Maybe her voice isn't very enthusiastic, or she spits the words out very quickly and you think maybe she just wants to end the conversation. In that case, if someone asks you "Is Hanako going to go?" you could say something like, "Ikitai to itteimasu ga, ikitakunai you ni kikoemasu."/"She says she wants to go, but it sounds like she doesn't want to go."

But what if you asked Hanako about the party through email? You email her, saying "Hey, the party is gonna be really fun! My friend is renting a boat, and we're going to go on a sunset dinner cruise. The view should be really beautiful, and after dinner, we're going to watch a fireworks festival from the boat. Do you want to go?" And then she responds with "Uh, yeah, sure, I'll go. Whatever."

In this case, in English, we could say "It sounds like she doesn't want to go." However, in Japanese, you wouldn't use kikoeamsu, since there's no actual sound giving you the impression. Instead, you'd say "Ikitakunasaou"/"She doesn't seem to want to go."

I was taking my Japanese lessons and I asked "what is counter for water drops". My classmate wondered if it is "mizu ga futatsu" and said "hen to kikoemasu", or "that sounds weird". Teacher couldn't answer to our questiom because she didn't know.

So, is it right to use "hen to kikoemasu" in a situation like this. And what is counter for water drops in Japanese btw (^^)

Thanks!