How to Say "quirk" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “quirk” is “manía” — use 'manía' for a minor, peculiar personal habit or an odd tendency that doesn't necessarily imply a disorder..
manía
/mah-NEE-ah//maˈni.a/
Examples
Tengo la manía de lavarme las manos cada diez minutos.
I have the quirk of washing my hands every ten minutes.
Es una manía tonta, pero no puedo dormir con la puerta abierta.
It's a silly obsession, but I can't sleep with the door open.
Su manía por el orden es un poco exagerada.
His obsession with order is a bit exaggerated.
Using 'de' after manía
When you want to describe the specific habit, use the word 'de' followed by a verb in its base form (the infinitive). For example: 'la manía de cantar'.
Usually singular
Even if someone has many weird habits, we often use the singular 'manía' to refer to their general tendency to be quirky.
Too literal translation
Mistake: “Using 'manía' only for medical madness.”
Correction: In Spanish, it is much more common to use it for small daily habits like how someone likes their coffee or how they organize their desk.
TOC
Examples
Mi hermano tiene TOC y siempre revisa la puerta tres veces.
My brother has OCD and always checks the door three times.
Manía vs. TOC
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.