勘

• Reading: かん
• Romaji: kan
• Kanji breakdown: 勘 (kan) — intuition, perception
• Pronunciation: /ka.n/

Meaning

Intuition; perception; the sixth sense. An innate ability to sense or judge things without logical reasoning.

A noun referring to gut feeling or instinctive perception. Often used with がいい (to have good intuition) or が鋭い (to have sharp intuition). Commonly appears in contexts involving guessing, detecting lies, or making quick judgments. Different from 感 (feeling/emotion) or 観 (perspective).

Examples

1. 母は勘が鋭くて嘘がすぐばれる。 My mom has sharp intuition, so she catches lies right away.
2. 勘で答えたら正解だった。 I guessed based on intuition and got it right.
3. 長年の経験で勘が養われた。 Years of experience have sharpened my intuition.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, psychology, decision-making

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 勘 combines 甚 (extreme) and 力 (power), suggesting a powerful inner sense. Originally used in Chinese to mean 'to examine' or 'to investigate,' it evolved in Japanese to emphasize intuitive perception.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal