物珍しい
ものめずらしい
i-adjective
unusual; novel; curious
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 物珍しい | 物珍しくない |
| Past | 物珍しかった | 物珍しくなかった |
| て form | 物珍しくて | 物珍しくなくて |
| Adverbial | 物珍しく | — |
| Conditional ば | 物珍しければ | 物珍しくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 物珍しかったら | 物珍しくなかったら |
1.
unusual; novel; curious; unfamiliar
Describes something that catches one's interest because it is rare or unfamiliar. Often implies looking at something with wide-eyed curiosity, as if encountering it for the first time.
子供たちは物珍しそうに見ていた。
The children were watching with curiosity.
外国の食べ物が物珍しくて色々試した。
I was curious about foreign foods and tried all sorts of things.
最初は物珍しかった田舎の生活にもすっかり慣れた。
I've gotten completely used to rural life, which at first seemed so novel.
USAGE:
物珍しい often appears in the adverbial form 物珍しそうに ("as if finding something novel") to describe the way someone looks at or reacts to something unfamiliar. The nuance is lighter than 珍しい alone, emphasizing the curiosity of the observer.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 物珍しそうに見る (to look at with curiosity)
- 物珍しさ (novelty, unfamiliarity)
- 物珍しい目で見る (to look at with curious eyes)
SIMILAR WORDS:
珍しい is the more common and general word for "rare" or "unusual." 物珍しい specifically emphasizes the viewer's sense of novelty and curiosity.