have an ear for

have an ear for (something)

To be particularly good at listening to and then repeating or understanding music, poetry, or foreign languages. I'm not very good at writing it, but I have quite an ear for Japanese. My sister has an ear for classical music. She can pick up on all sorts of layers and nuances that I would never notice. A: "How did you know that line was from an Eliot poem?" B: "Because I have an ear for this stuff. And because we've read The Waste Land in like four different classes."

See also: an, ear, for, have

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

have an ear for something

Fig. to have the ability to learn music or languages. Bill doesn't have an ear for music. He can't carry a tune. Mary has a good ear for languages.

See also: an, ear, for, have

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.