Japanese word

癖

Pronunciation

Romajikuse

Meaning

  • nounhabit

Example

爪をかむ癖があります。tsume o ka mu kuse ga a ri ma su

I have a habit of biting my nails.

Illustration for 癖 (habit)

More examples

彼には話す前に咳払いをする癖があります。kare ni wa hana su mae ni seki bara i o su ru kuse ga a ri ma su

He has a habit of clearing his throat before speaking.

Core concept

A recurring personal pattern in behavior or thought that often appears without deliberate control.

Common phrases

  • 癖を直すkuse o nao su

    break a habit

  • 癖になるkuse ni na ru

    become a habit

  • 癖があるkuse ga a ru

    have a habit

Similar words

習慣shūkan: A repeated pattern of action that becomes part of daily life.

Definition in Japanese

無意識のうちに繰り返す、個人に特有の行動や考え方の傾向。mu i shiki no u chi ni ku ri kae su ko jin ni toku yū no kō dō ya kanga e kata no kei kō

Word origin

癖 (kuse, "habit") is a native Japanese noun with an uncertain older origin; Japanese uses the character 癖 (heki, "habit") to write it, and heki is the character's Sino-Japanese reading.

Usage tips

  • 癖 (kuse) can describe a repeated personal mannerism that other people notice, such as saying the same phrase again and again.

Other meanings

  • tendencynoun

Word lists with this word