French word

penchant

Pronunciation

IPA/pɑ̃ʃɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpreference

Example

J'ai un penchant pour la nourriture épicée.

I have a preference for spicy food.

Illustration for penchant (preference)

More examples

Elle a un penchant pour les romans historiques.

She has a penchant for historical novels.

Core concept

A mind that naturally leans toward one recurring choice.

Common phrases

  • avoir un penchant pour

    have a penchant for

  • un penchant pour

    a penchant for

Similar words

préférence: A choice favored over available alternatives.
goût: A personal sense of taste shown in food or hobbies.

Definition in French

Goût ou inclination, parfois légère et parfois marquée, pour quelque chose, souvent formulée par avoir un penchant pour …

Word origin

The noun penchant comes from the present participle of French pencher, 'to lean', ultimately related to Latin pendere, 'to hang', with physical leaning extended to personal inclination.

Usage tips

  • The usual construction is avoir un penchant pour, with pour introducing the favored thing.

Other meanings

  • tendencynoun
  • predilectionnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • pencherleanverb
  • penchétiltedadjective

Word lists with this word