発見

• Reading: はっけん
• Romaji: hakken
• Kanji breakdown: 発 (hatsu) — emit, reveal, departure; 見 (ken) — see, observe
• Pronunciation: /hak.keɴ/

Meaning

Discovery; detection; finding. The act of finding or uncovering something previously unknown.

Used both as a noun and as a する-verb (発見する). 発見 implies discovering something that already existed but was not yet known, unlike 発明 (invention) which creates something new. Common in science, history, and everyday contexts.

Examples

1. 新しい星が発見されたとニュースで聞いた。 I heard on the news that a new star was discovered.
2. 古い地図の中に面白い発見があった。 There was an interesting discovery in an old map.
3. 森の中で珍しい植物を発見した。 We discovered a rare plant in the forest.

Usage Guide

Context: science, exploration, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 発 (emit, departure, reveal) and 見 (see, observe). Together they mean to bring something into view or to reveal what was hidden.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal