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me suena

For the half-memory: you recognise something but cannot place it.

Quick answer

me suena

Natural: it rings a bell / that sounds familiar
Literal: “it sounds to me”

How it is used

Ese nombre me suena.That name rings a bell.
Me suena su cara.His face looks familiar.
No me suena de nada.It doesn’t ring a bell at all.
Me suena haberlo leído.I have a vague feeling I read it.

Where it is said

Standard everywhere, though it is heard most in Spain. In Mexico <b>se me hace conocido</b> covers the same idea.

A mini dialogue

— ¿Conoces a Pablo Ramos?— Do you know Pablo Ramos?
— Me suena, pero no sé de qué.— It rings a bell, but I can’t place him.

Watch out

me suena

The thing remembered is the subject, so the verb agrees with it: me suenan esos nombres, not me sueno esos nombres.

me suena

Sonar here is nothing to do with soñar (“to dream”); the tilde changes the word completely.

Check yourself

What does “Ese nombre me suena” mean?

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