Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

懸案 (けんあん, kenan) Japanese meaning: pending issue | Kotomora

懸けん案あん

け

ん

あ

ん

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

pending issue; unresolved problem

Refers to a matter that remains unsettled or under consideration, often used in business, political, or administrative contexts.

その懸けん案あんはまだ解かい決けつしていない。

That pending issue has not been resolved yet.

懸けん案あんの事じ項こうについて話はなし合あいましょう。

Let's discuss the outstanding matters.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が懸けん案あんとなるfor something to become a pending issue
その規き制せいの見み直なおしは長なが年ねんの懸けん案あんとなっている。
The review of that regulation has long been a pending issue.
懸けん案あんを解かい決けつするto resolve a pending issue
両りょう国こくは国こっ境きょう問もん題だいという懸けん案あんを解かい決けつするために会かい談だんを続つづけている。
長なが年ねんの懸けん案あんa long-standing pending issue
その施し設せつの建けん設せつは市しの長なが年ねんの懸けん案あんだった。
The construction of that facility had been a long-standing pending issue for the city.
懸けん案あんを抱かかえるto be saddled with pending issues
新しん政せい権けんは多おおくの懸けん案あんを抱かかえて発ほっ足そくした。
The new administration launched while burdened with many pending issues.

Kanji

懸state of suspension, hang, depend
案plan, suggestion, draft

Related words

未み解かい決けつN3
未解決 simply means 'unsolved' in a general sense, while 懸案 specifically refers to a matter that has been left pending for some time, often officially.
課か題だいN2
課題 is a task or challenge to be addressed, whereas 懸案 emphasizes that the issue has already been under discussion without resolution.
問もん題だいN5
問題 is the broad, everyday word for any problem, while 懸案 is more formal and implies the problem has been pending for a while.
宿しゅく題だいN5
懸案 is a formal term for a long-pending issue, whereas 宿題 in this sense is a more casual, everyday way to describe an unresolved matter.
関かん心しん事じ
懸案 is a pending issue that still needs to be resolved or decided, while 関心事 is just a topic someone finds interesting, with no implication it needs solving.

Opposites

既き決けつ
既決 describes a matter that has already been decided or settled, the opposite of 懸案, which is still unresolved.

Don't confuse with

検けん案あん
検案 (also read けんあん) refers to a coroner's examination of a body, an unrelated legal/medical term easily confused with 懸案 due to identical pronunciation.

Etymology

Compound of 懸 (hang, suspend) and 案 (plan, proposal), literally 'suspended proposal', referring to a matter left hanging.

The two countries continue talks to resolve the pending border issue.