French Conversation · Level 121
59 words
French word
idiosyncrasie
Pronunciation
IPA/idjosɛ̃kʁazi/
Meaning
- feminine nounquirk
Example
Il a une idiosyncrasie : il met toujours son manteau à l'envers.
He has a quirk: he always wears his coat inside out.
More examples
Au travail, son idiosyncrasie surprend parfois ses collègues.
At work, his idiosyncrasy sometimes surprises his colleagues.
Core concept
A person's distinctive behavioral signature, visible in a recurring odd habit.
Common phrases
parler d'une idiosyncrasie
talk about an idiosyncrasy
avoir des idiosyncrasies
have some idiosyncrasies
Similar words
habitude: A routine action or method repeated regularly.
manie: An intense preoccupation or persistent habit that feels difficult to resist.
tic: A small, involuntary movement or vocal habit repeated unconsciously.
Definition in French
Disposition ou comportement habituel et particulier d'une personne, souvent une petite manie ou habitude qui la distingue des autres.
Word origin
The learned French noun idiosyncrasie derives from Greek idiosynkrasia, an 'individual mixture' formed from idios, 'one's own', and krasis, 'mixing'.
Usage tips
- French uses idiosyncrasie in a relatively formal descriptive register, while manie or habitude is often more natural for an everyday habit.
Other meanings
- peculiaritynoun
Opposites
- banalitébanalitynoun