家喻户晓 is constructed from two parallel compounds: 家喻, where 家 means "household" and 喻 means "to understand", and 户晓, where 户 means "household" and 晓 means "to know". The pairing of synonymous terms for "household" with verbs for comprehension creates a reinforced meaning, indicating that something is understood and known by every household, thus conveying widespread awareness.