What does it mean word for word?
The word 偏屈 is composed of characters meaning 'biased/one-sided' and 'crooked/bent', implying a personality that is warped or deviates from the standard.
Which one should you use?
There are different ways to express eccentricity depending on what aspect of the person you are describing. 偏屈 describes a person's stubborn or difficult temperament. In contrast, 変人 is used to describe someone who is simply strange or odd in behavior. For a more informal way to say "eccentric", you can use 変わり者, which literally translates to "weird person" or "oddball".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
偏屈 carries a negative connotation of being difficult, stubborn or socially awkward. 変わり者 is an informal term.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 偏屈 as an adjective to describe a person, you must add the particle な (na) to form 偏屈な.
How do you pronounce it?
henkutsu
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 空気 'air' describes the social mood. Someone described as 偏屈 is often seen as someone who refuses to 'read the air' and deliberately disrupts the harmony.
- The character 屈 in 偏屈 can also mean 'to yield' or 'to submit', making the word's literal imagery a person who is 'one-sided' and refuses to 'yield'.
- To describe a truly 'eccentric' person in a way that sounds sophisticated or scholarly, Japanese speakers might use the loanword エキセントリック instead of native terms like 偏屈.
Examples in context
- 彼の発想は風変わりですが、とてもクリエイティブです。His ideas are eccentric, but very creative.
- あの人は本当に変わり者で面白い。That person is truly eccentric and interesting.
- グループの中では私が一番変わり者だと思われている。Among the group, I'm considered the most eccentric.
Example conversation
Talking about a neighbor during a walk.
- 大翔 Hiroto隣の人は少し偏屈だね。Tonari no hito wa sukoshi henkutsu da ne.The neighbor is a bit eccentric, isn't he?
- 結衣 Yuiそうだけど、いい人だよ。Sou dakedo, ii hito da yo.He is, but he's a good person.
- 大翔 Hirotoたまに不思議なことを言うし。Tama ni fushigi na koto o iu shi.He says strange things sometimes.
- 結衣 Yuiそれが彼の魅力だと思うよ。Sore ga kare no miryoku da to omou yo.I think that's his charm.
