偏見

• Reading: へんけん
• Romaji: henken
• Kanji breakdown: 偏 (hen) — biased, one-sided, partial; 見 (ken) — view, opinion, see
• Pronunciation: /heɴ.keɴ/

Meaning

Prejudice; bias; preconceived notion. An unfair or unreasonable opinion formed without sufficient knowledge.

A noun describing an unfounded negative judgement toward a group or idea. A serious and frequently used word in social discourse. Common collocations include 偏見を持つ (henken wo motsu, to hold a prejudice), 偏見をなくす (henken wo nakusu, to eliminate prejudice), and 偏見に基づく (henken ni motozuku, based on prejudice). Often paired with 差別 (sabetsu, discrimination) in discussions of social justice.

Examples

1. 外国人に対する偏見をなくすべきだ。 We should eliminate prejudice against foreigners.
2. 偏見を持たずに相手の話を聞くことが大切だ。 It's important to listen to others without prejudice.
3. メディアの報道が偏見を助長することもある。 Media coverage can sometimes reinforce prejudice.

Usage Guide

Context: social issues, psychology, education, media

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 偏 (hen, biased/one-sided/partial) + 見 (ken, view/opinion). Literally 'a one-sided view' — seeing things from only one angle.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal