Japanese word

直感

Pronunciation

Romajichokkan

Meaning

  • nounintuition

Example

私は直感を信じます。watashi wa chok kan o shin ji ma su

I trust my intuition.

Illustration for 直感 (intuition)

More examples

迷ったときは、直感に従って決めることもあります。mayo tta to ki wa chok kan ni shitaga tte ki me ru ko to mo a ri ma su

When I am unsure, I sometimes make a decision based on intuition.

Core concept

Captures an immediate sense of what is true or appropriate before conscious reasoning puts it into words.

Common phrases

  • 直感を信じるchok kan o shin ji ru

    trust intuition

  • 直感に従うchok kan ni shitaga u

    follow intuition

  • 直感が働くchok kan ga hatara ku

    intuition kicks in

Similar words

勘kan: A quick judgment based on a feeling rather than clear evidence.

Definition in Japanese

経験や推論を意識的に重ねなくても、物事の本質や適否を瞬時に感じ取る心の働き。kei ken ya sui ron o i shiki teki ni kasa ne na ku te mo mono goto no hon shitsu ya teki hi o shun ji ni kan ji to ru kokoro no hatara ki

Word origin

直感 (chokkan, "intuition") combines 直 (choku, "direct") and 感 (kan, "feeling") as a Sino-Japanese compound.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use intuition for a quiet, immediate judgment, whereas a hunch is usually a specific guess that may be less firmly grounded.

Other meanings

  • hunchnoun
  • instinctnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 直感的chokkantekiintuitivena-adjective
  • 直感力chokkanryokuintuitive abilitynoun

Word lists with this word