勘かん

か

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

intuition; sixth sense; gut feeling

Refers to an instinctive, non-rational ability to perceive or judge something correctly. Often used in phrases like 勘がいい (have good intuition) or 勘で動く (act on a hunch).

彼かれは勘かんが鋭するどいから、すぐに嘘うそを見み抜ぬ

く

。

He has sharp intuition, so he quickly sees through lies.

何なんとなく嫌いやな予よ感かんがした。ただの勘かんだけど。

I had a bad feeling for some reason. It's just a hunch, though.

Usage patterns

勘かんに頼たよるto rely on one's intuition
彼かれは数すう字じよりも勘かんに頼たよって決けつ断だんすることが多おおい。
He often makes decisions relying on his gut feeling rather than numbers.
勘かんが当あたるfor one's hunch to prove correct
今日きょうは雨あめが降ふると思おもっていたら、勘かんが当あたった。
I had a feeling it would rain today, and my hunch turned out to be right.
勘かんで〈動どう詞し〉to do something on a hunch or by gut feeling
テストの答こたえが分わからなかったので、勘かんで選えらんだ。
I didn't know the test answer, so I just chose one by gut feeling.

Expressions

勘かんがいいquick on the uptake; perceptive; intuitive
勘かんが鈍にぶるlose one's touch; become less perceptive; get out of practice
勘かんのいいquick on the uptake; perceptive; intuitive
下げ衆すの勘かん繰ぐりpetty-minded suspicion; deliberately bad interpretation
勘かんを働はたらかせるuse one's intuition; use one's instinct; use one's head
勘かん定じょう合あって銭ぜに足たらずthe accounts balance but the money is short; what works on paper doesn't always work in practice

Kanji

勘intuition, perception, check

Related words

直ちょっ感かんN1
直感 is a sudden, flash-like intuitive judgment, while 勘 is a broader, experience-honed sixth sense that builds up over time.
第だい六ろっ感かん
第六感 is a more literary, almost mystical way of saying 'sixth sense', whereas 勘 is the everyday word for the same instinctive ability.
センスN2
センス refers to a trained aesthetic or practical sense (e.g. fashion sense), while 勘 is a more instinctive, situational gut feeling.
読よみN3
読み is a deliberate, reasoned assessment of a situation, whereas 勘 is an intuitive hunch or gut feeling.
察さっし
勘 is a gut instinct or hunch that arises without conscious reasoning, while 察し involves reading contextual cues, even if quickly.

Don't confuse with

感かんN2
勘 and 感 share the same reading かん and both relate to inner perception, but 感 means a general feeling or sensation while 勘 specifically means an instinctive judgment or hunch.

Word family· 35

勘かん違ちがいN2
misunderstanding; mistaken idea; wrong guess
勘かん弁べんN1
pardon; forgiveness; forbearance
勘かん定じょうN3
calculation; counting; reckoning · bill; check; account; payment · consideration; allowance

Written forms

勘かんUsage55%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
カンUsage45%

Etymology

The kanji 勘 originally relates to investigation or consideration, but the modern meaning of 'intuition' is a semantic extension. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.

勘かん案あん

take into consideration; give consideration to

割わり勘かんN3

splitting the bill; going Dutch

Show 13 more

勘かん当どう
disinheritance; disowning
勘かんぐる
be suspicious of; suspect
勘かん繰ぐり
suspicion; distrust; reading too much into things
勅ちょっ勘かん
imperial censure; the emperor's displeasure
勘かん例れい
considering old precedents
勘かん合ごう
checking and verifying
勘かん審しん
careful investigation; thorough scrutiny
勘かん所どころ
position on the fingerboard (of a shamisen, koto, etc.) · vital point; crux; key point
勘かん査さ
investigation; inspection; examination
勘かん校こう
examination and correction; collation and revision
勘かん検けん
investigation; inquiry; examination
勘かん気き
disfavor; disinheritance
勘かん決けつ
investigation and decision; judicial determination

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