je ne sais quoi

English

Borrowed from French je ne sais quoi (literally “I don't know what”).

je ne sais quoi (uncountable)

An indefinable quality that makes something distinctive or attractive.
She has a certain je ne sais quoi about her.
- 1894, George du Maurier, “Part Second”, in Trilby: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 85:
  "Say, you others, I find that the Englishman has something of truly distinguished in the voice, something of sympathetic, of touching—something of je ne sais quoi!" Bouchardy: "Yes, yes—something of je ne sais quoi! That's the very phrase— […] "

indefinable quality that makes something distinctive

Afrikaans: ek weet nie wat nie
Catalan: no-sé-què (ca) m
Czech: bůhvíco (cs) n, kdovíco n, cosi (cs) n
Dutch: ik-weet-niet-wat n, je ne sais quoi n
Finnish: se jokin, en-tiedä-mikä
French: je ne sais quoi (fr) m, je-ne-sais-quoi (fr) m, Dieu sait quoi m, on ne sait quoi (fr) m
Galician: aquel (gl) m
German: gewisse Etwas n
Greek: πώς να το πω n (pós na to po), πώς να σου το πω n (pós na sou to po)
Italian: non so che m
Portuguese: não-sei-quê m, não-sei-o-quê m
Russian: э́такое (ru) n (étakoje)
Spanish: no sé qué (es) m

Literally, “I don't know what”.

je ne sais quoi m (plural je ne sais quoi)

a certain something, je ne sais quoi (intangible quality that makes something distinctive)
Synonyms: Dieu sait quoi (literally “God knows what”), on ne sait quoi (literally “one doesn't know what”)
- 1987, Michel Berger (lyrics and music), “Ella, elle l'a”, in Babacar, performed by France Gall:
  Si tu l’as, tu l’as, Ella elle l’a / Ce je ne sais quoi / Que d’autres n’ont pas
  If you have it, you have it, Ella she has it. This I don't know what. That the others don't have.