je ne sais quoi
/ˌʒə nə seɪ ˈkwɑː/
an indefinable, attractive quality
je ne sais quoi in a sentence
“She has a certain je ne sais quoi that captivates everyone.”
Origin of je ne sais quoi
French: je I + ne not + sais know + quoi what; literally I dont know what'
What does je ne sais quoi really mean?
Je ne sais quoi names the quality you can perceive but not pin down — the charm, presence, or rightness that resists analysis. Using the phrase is itself an admission: the thing is real, and vocabulary fails.
The story behind je ne sais quoi
French for "I don't know what." Seventeenth-century French critics and salon writers used it as a technical term for the inexpressible element in beauty and art — the thing that rules and reason couldn't account for. English borrowed it whole, italics and all.
How to use je ne sais quoi
Use it as a noun with a certain: "she has a certain je ne sais quoi." It suits praise of people, places, and style, and carries a light, slightly playful register — deploy it sparingly or it reads as affectation.
Related Words
joie de vivre
exuberant enjoyment of life
laissez-faire
a policy of non-interference; letting things take their course
nom de plume
a pen name; pseudonym used by writers
nouveau riche
people who have recently acquired wealth but lack refinement
pièce de résistance
the most important or impressive item
raison d'être
the most important reason for existence