have an ear for sth

/hav ɐn ˈiə fɔː ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ/

/hæv ɐn ˈɪɹ fɔːɹ ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ/

to have an ear for sth

to be quick at learning and understanding a piece of music or a specific language and be able to accurately reproduce or utilize it

Examples

1. He just doesn't have an ear for music.

2. No, it's just that she has an ear for such things.

3. Always, Voltaire had an ear for the telling phrase: It's a good line, even in English, and better still in the original French where it is more memorable because it is a classical alexandrine line in 12 syllables:

4. They say people have an ear for music.