1.
to linger in one's ears; to be catchy
A sound, melody, or phrase that stays in one's mind after hearing it, whether pleasantly or not.
あのメロディーが耳に付く。
That melody sticks in my ears.
CMの曲が耳に付いて離れない。
The commercial jingle is stuck in my head and won't go away.
先生の言葉がずっと耳に付いている。
My teacher's words have stayed with me.
2.
to get on one's nerves; to be annoying to hear
A sound, voice, or repeated phrase that becomes irritating through repetition or unpleasantness.
隣の工事の音が耳に付く。
The construction noise next door is grating on my ears.
彼の口癖がだんだん耳に付くようになった。
His pet phrase gradually started getting on my nerves.
同じことを何度も言われると耳に付く。
Being told the same thing over and over gets annoying.
The meaning of 耳に付く depends on context. When something catchy or memorable is the subject, it means the sound lingers (sense 1). When something unpleasant or repetitive is the subject, it means the sound is irritating (sense 2).
RELATED EXPRESSIONS:
- 耳に残る — to remain in one's ears (neutral to positive; no negative connotation)
- 耳障り — unpleasant to the ear (always negative)
- 耳から離れない — can't get it out of one's head