je ne sais quoi

[ zhuh nuh se kwa ]

noun

, French.

1. an indefinable, elusive quality, especially a pleasing one:

   She has a certain je ne sais quoi that charms everybody.

je ne sais quoi

/ ʒənsekwa /

noun

1. an indefinable quality, esp of personality

je ne sais quoi

1. That little something; a quality that eludes description: “The Mona Lisa 's smile has a certain je ne sais quoi.” From French, meaning “I don't know what.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of je ne sais quoi¹

Literally, “I don't know what”

Word History and Origins

Origin of je ne sais quoi¹

literally: I don't know what

Example Sentences

It may not exactly be chic, but for Paris luxury fashion house Chanel, this road has a certain je ne sais quoi.

From BBC

Dr. Pouget is trying to apply chemical precision to this je ne sais quoi.

From New York Times

What we learn is that Fury owes his entire je ne sais quoi to these creatures.

From New York Times

It requires a certain je ne sais quoi.

From BBC

And I think when it comes down to beauty, personality, style, attitude, the way we move, the way we talk ... most women have a certain je ne sais quoi about them but ...

From Los Angeles Times

More About Je Ne Sais Quoi

What does je ne sais quoi mean?

Je ne sais quoi literally means “I don’t know what” in French.

The phrase was borrowed into English as an expression of a quality that makes something or someone attractive, distinctive, or special in some way, but is hard to put into words.

Where does je ne sais quoi come from?

The French phrase je ne sais quoi was borrowed into English as early as the 1650s to characterize some inexpressible, indefinable, or ineffable quality, such as some element that makes an engaging work of art or charismatic person special.

Often appearing in the construction (having) a certain je ne sais quoi, the saying is similar to the English expression a certain something, although the original French has a kind of je ne sais quoi all its own, don’t you think?

Je ne sais quoi continued on in English through the centuries, used widely in speech and writing as a learned expression that can lend a text or utterance a sophistication.

While it has its fanciness, je ne sais quoi isn’t exclusively highbrow. Icelandic pop singer Hera Björk wrote and performed the well-liked (though not winning) “Je Ne Sais Quoi” for the 2010 Eurovision European song contest. In 2012, the popular English duo Pet Shop Boys released “A Certain ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’,” a B-side to their hit track “Winner.”

How is je ne sais quoi used in real life?

Je ne sais quoi can be used to express the inexpressible in a way that can variously sound smart, worldly, or French-y. The “special sauce” that je ne sais quoi conveys is almost always positive or desirable in some way.

Popscycle adding that certain Je ne sais quoi to weddings since 2014 pic.twitter.com/iUDZX7rVH8

— POPSCYCLE (@popscycle2014) December 28, 2018

More examples of je ne sais quoi:

“I got a certain “je ne sais quoi” about me. Vibes be off the richter. I definitely been attracting a certain type lately & im lovin’ it 🤷🏾‍♀️”
—@ChoklateWasted_, December 2018

“I think that the French je ne sais quoi is more about the attitude. But more tangibly it’s about the details, whether that’s beautiful jewellery [sic], beautiful basics or just beautiful materials.”
—Adenorah (blogger) quoted by Elinor Block, Who What Wear, November 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.