je ne sais quoi
Appearance
English
Etymology
Borrowed from French je ne sais quoi (literally “I don't know what”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌʒə nə seɪ ˈkwɑː/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌʒə nə seɪ ˈkwɑ/[1]
- (emulating French) IPA(key): /ˌʒə n(ə) sɛ ˈkwɑː/
- Rhymes: -ɑː
Noun
je ne sais quoi (uncountable)
- An indefinable quality that makes something distinctive or attractive.
- She has a certain je ne sais quoi about her.
- 1894, George du Maurier, “Part Second”, in Trilby: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 85:
- "Say, you others, I find that the Englishman has something of truly distinguished in the voice, something of sympathetic, of touching—something of je ne sais quoi!" Bouchardy: "Yes, yes—something of je ne sais quoi! That's the very phrase— […] "
Translations
indefinable quality that makes something distinctive
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References
- ^ “je ne sais quoi”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
French
Alternative forms
Etymology
Literally, “I don't know what”.
Pronunciation
Noun
je ne sais quoi m (plural je ne sais quoi)
- a certain something, je ne sais quoi (intangible quality that makes something distinctive)
- Synonyms: Dieu sait quoi (literally “God knows what”), on ne sait quoi (literally “one doesn't know what”)
- 1987, Michel Berger (lyrics and music), “Ella, elle l'a”, in Babacar, performed by France Gall:
- Si tu l’as, tu l’as, Ella elle l’a / Ce je ne sais quoi / Que d’autres n’ont pas
- If you have it, you have it, Ella she has it. This I don't know what. That the others don't have.
See also
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from French
- English terms derived from French
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɑː
- Rhymes:English/ɑː/4 syllables
- English lemmas
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- English uncountable nouns
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- Rhymes:French/a
- Rhymes:French/a/4 syllables
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French multiword terms
- French masculine nouns
- French terms with quotations