1.
eccentric; oddball; unconventional person
A person whose behavior, interests, or personality differs from what is considered normal or mainstream. Can be mildly negative or affectionately descriptive depending on context.
彼は少し変わり者だ。
He's a bit of an oddball.
変わり者だと思われても、自分のスタイルを貫きたい。
Even if people think I'm eccentric, I want to stick to my own style.
うちの教授は変わり者で有名だけど、授業はとても面白い。
Our professor is famous for being eccentric, but his classes are really interesting.
USAGE:
The tone depends heavily on context. It can be gently affectionate (describing a quirky but likeable person) or mildly critical (implying someone is hard to deal with). In Japanese society, which values conformity, being called a 変わり者 is not necessarily a compliment, though it is not as harsh as 変人.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 変わり者で有名 (famous for being eccentric)
- ちょっとした変わり者 (a bit of an eccentric)
- 変わり者だと思われる (to be considered eccentric)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 変人: weirdo — more blunt and negative
- 個性的: unique, individualistic — more positive framing