Spanish word

manía

Pronunciation

IPA/maˈnia/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhabit

Example

Tiene la manía de morderse las uñas.

He has the habit of biting his nails.

Illustration for manía (habit)

More examples

Tiene manías raras con la comida.

He has strange quirks about food.

Core concept

Idiosyncratic annoying habit.

Common phrases

  • tener manías

    have quirks

  • cogerle manía a algo

    take a dislike to something

Similar words

hábito: Ordinary repeated behavior or routine done regularly without causing harm.
vicio: Strongly compulsive, harmful habit that causes physical or social damage.

Definition in Spanish

Rasgo o costumbre peculiar de una persona que puede resultar extraña o característica para los demás.

Word origin

Derived from Greek μανία 'mania', Spanish shifted the sense from extreme madness to a personal, often annoying or characteristic habit.

Usage tips

  • Common in conversation to point out quirks with 'Tiene la manía de...', and the tone decides whether the remark sounds teasing or critical.

Other meanings

  • obsessionnoun
  • quirknoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word