Je ne sais quoi: Meaning in French

We like to have a bit of a laugh once in a while, so I thought I would explore that oh-so-elusive concept of the French “Je ne sais quoi” and its meaning.

It is used to describe something that is indescribable, something that you can’t quite put your finger on. Very helpful I know. And these days it refers to a certain French aesthetic that is not entirely quantifiable either. So what does it mean exactly? Let’s find out, shall we? Allons-y!

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The Two Meanings

Je ne sais quoi literally translates into “I don’t know what”. But French people tend to use it one of two situations, as follows:

The Ordinary explanation (Verb)

The first version of “je ne sais quoi” just means when you don’t know the answer to something. This can be rather simple as:

French Phrase	English Translation
Elle a dit qu’elle va aller au supermarché pour acheter le pain, le vin, et je ne sais pas quoi d’autre.	She said she is going to the supermarket to buy bread, wine and I don’t know what else.
Quelque chose a changé, mais je ne sais pas quoi.	Something has changed, but I don’t know what.
Les taches finissent par disparaître, mais je ne sais pas quoi faire pour éviter ces gonflements.	The marks will fade away, but I don’t know what to do about the swelling.

As you can see, it is a rather bland statement. And indeed in France, we mostly use the phrase in this context. The verb is savoir which in French means to know.

The Romantic Explanation (Noun)

But over the years, to anglophone audiences, it has come to signify something else:

French Phrase	English Translation
Il est trés bon, mais il lui manque ce petit “je ne sais quoi.”	It is very good, but it is missing that little “je ne sais quoi“.
Cette ville a un esprit incroyable, et même si Paris continue de croître, son coeur et son âme ont un “je ne sais quoi” qui me rappelle la chaleur d’une petite ville.	This city has an incredible spirit, and even as Paris continues to grow, her heart and soul has that “something” that reminds me of the warmth of a small town.
Une broche diamant brillant de mille feux ajoute un “je ne sais quoi” tout à fait féminin.	A glittering diamond broach adds that little “something” that makes it completely feminine.

Here it is described as a thing that is a noun, compared to a verb in the first example. It is a particular characteristic/object that the speaker is not sure what, that is different and/or missing.

It is that 2nd unquantifiable quality, that mystery, and dare we say a certain sexiness that is at the heart of why this phrase captures the imagination.

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The French Woman and Parisian Girl style

And when we speak of that romantic “je ne sais quoi“, it is usually specifically in the context of the French woman. With popular French actresses such as Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve crossing the Atlantic and entering the Anglo-Saxon pop culture, the expression has taken on a new context.

The phrase has come to be used more often the context of that unattainable French girl style, and particularly the Parisienne style:

Elle a un certain “je ne sais quoi”.

Translation: She has a certain “je ne sais quoi”.

It is supposed to be the different way of dressing, wearing makeup, the seeming “effortlessness” of French beauty standards, compared to North Americans.

Now to be clear, this concept is a bit of a misnomer, because France is a country of 65 million people, and if you wander around France you will see that very few people look like Brigitte Bardot!

And when we are talking about “la Parisienne“, there is a reason that women in Paris look like they are not making an effort. The messy bun, the flat shoes, the lack of makeup, etc. tends to be because people don’t have cars.

If you are leaving your Parisian apartment in the morning, commuting to work on the metro, and then going out for a drink after work without going home, well you too are going to look a bit dishevelled.

On the other hand, you have a car and are driving around everywhere, you too can wear high heels, refresh your makeup as often as you want, and be perfectly over-hairsprayed! Given the circumstances, French women and popular culture have taken what should be a disadvantage and added their own insouciance (careless indifference) and adapted their style to it.

So with all that being said, as an implanted Parisienne, I can’t take this concept too seriously. To have some fun with it, I put together a few tips on how you that Parisienne gets her je ne sais quoi. It is elusive but with tongue firmly in cheek, here we go:

Shop Favorites:

• Authentic Breton Striped shirt – by French brand Saint James
• Classic trench coat – by Sézane
• Scarf – by Saint James

So how Parisian are you? Do you have that “je ne sais quoi” yet?