curieux

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cūriōsus (“careful, attentive, inquisitive”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ky.ʁjø/

• Audio:

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• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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Adjective

curieux (feminine curieuse, masculine plural curieux, feminine plural curieuses)

1. curious, inquisitive, intrigued, wondering; possessing curiosity

   C'est un garçon curieux.

   He's an inquisitive boy.

2. curious, unusual, interesting, quaint; inducing curiosity

   C'est un curieux garçon.

   He's an unusual boy.

Usage notes

• (curious, unusual): In this sense, curieux may either precede or follow its noun, with a subtle difference of nuance.

Derived terms

• curieusement

Descendants

• → Danish: kuriøs

Noun

curieux m (plural curieuse, feminine curieuse)

1. rubbernecker

Further reading

• “curieux”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012