je ne sais quoi

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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/
(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

Afrikaans: ek weet nie wat nie
Catalan: no-sé-què (ca) m
Czech: bůhvíco (cs) n, kdovíco n, cosi (cs) n
Dutch: ik-weet-niet-wat n, je ne sais quoi n
Finnish: se jokin, en-tiedä-mikä
French: je ne sais quoi (fr) m, je-ne-sais-quoi (fr) m, Dieu sait quoi m, on ne sait quoi (fr) m
Galician: aquel (gl) m
German: gewisse Etwas n
Greek: πώς να το πω n (pós na to po), πώς να σου το πω n (pós na sou to po)
Italian: non so che m
Portuguese: não-sei-quê m, não-sei-o-quê m
Russian: э́такое (ru) n (étakoje)
Spanish: no sé qué (es) m

References

^ “je ne sais quoi”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

French

Alternative forms

je-ne-sais-quoi

Etymology

Literally, “I don't know what”.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ʒə n(ə) sɛ kwa/
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -a

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

je ne sais pas

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