The Chinese word **耳熟** (ěr shú), meaning "familiar-sounding," is a compound formed through a straightforward semantic combination: the character **耳** (ěr) means "ear," and **熟** (shú) means "cooked," "ripe," or, by extension, "familiar" or "well-acquainted." Together, they create a vivid metaphorical phrase where **耳** represents the faculty of hearing and **熟** indicates a state of knowing something thoroughly, thus literally translating to "ear-familiar" to convey the idea that something is recognized or sounds familiar upon being heard.