特徴的(とくちょうてき)

Forms

• 特徴的(とくちょうてき)な + noun (adnominal)
• 特徴的(とくちょうてき)に (adverbially)
• 特徴的(とくちょうてき)だ (predicative)

特徴(とくちょう) (characteristic, feature) + 的(てき) (-like, -ic). The 的(てき) suffix is what makes the noun usable as a description.

Usage

Used of things that have notable distinguishing features:

• 特徴的(とくちょうてき)な形(かたち) (distinctive shape)
• 特徴的(とくちょうてき)な声(こえ) (characteristic voice)
• 特徴的(とくちょうてき)な症状(しょうじょう) (characteristic symptoms)

NEUTRAL, NOT PRAISE:
特徴的(とくちょうてき) says only that a feature stands out and lets you identify the thing; it does not say the feature is good. For a positive judgment, use 個性的(こせいてき) or a word of praise.

Similar words

• 独特(どくとく) - unique, peculiar; stresses that nothing else is like it
• 典型的(てんけいてき) - typical; stresses that it is a representative example of its class, the near-opposite emphasis
• 個性的(こせいてき) - individualistic, distinctive; usually of people and their tastes