1.
atavism; throwback; skipping a generation
A genetic phenomenon where a trait from a grandparent or earlier ancestor reappears in a descendant, having skipped one or more intervening generations. Also used colloquially to describe personality traits or talents that seem inherited from grandparents.
この性格は隔世遺伝かもしれない。
This personality trait might be a case of skipping a generation.
祖父に似ているのは隔世遺伝だろうか。
I wonder if my resemblance to my grandfather is atavism.
絵の才能は父にはなかったが、祖母が画家だったので隔世遺伝だと言われている。
My father had no artistic talent, but since my grandmother was a painter, people say it's a case of skipping a generation.
USAGE:
隔世 means "separated by a generation" and 遺伝 means "heredity/genetics." While technically a scientific term, it is commonly used in everyday conversation when noticing traits that seem to have skipped a generation.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 隔世遺伝で～に似ている (to resemble ~ through atavism)
- 隔世遺伝かもしれない (it might be atavism)
NOTE:
In strict genetics, atavism refers to the reappearance of ancestral traits due to recessive gene expression. In everyday Japanese, the term is used more loosely to describe any perceived similarity to grandparents.