Expressions 常じょう 考こう isn't it obvious?; that's common sense 参さん 考こう にする refer to; consult; use as a reference 参さん 考こう になる serve as a reference; be helpful; be informative Related words 思考 is the everyday word for the process of thinking, while 考 is a bound, mostly literary form that appears inside compounds like 思考 itself.
考え is the natural standalone word for 'a thought' or 'an idea' in everyday speech, whereas 考 alone is rarely used outside formal compounds or titles.
Word family· 38 reference; consultation
thinking; thought; consideration
consideration; taking into account
consideration; investigation; study
selection; screening; choice
Show 21 more Show fewer note; remarks; N.B.
plan; design; invention; idea
archaeology; archeology
archaeology; study of antiquities
reconsideration; rethinking; review
historical investigation; study of historical evidence
careful consideration; deliberation; thinking over carefully
study; discussion; research article; academic paper
examination; test; assessment
consideration; thought; rethinking
long thought; lengthy consideration; pondering for a long time
one's late father
consideration; deliberation; thinking over
miscellaneous studies; collected investigations
misunderstanding; mistaken idea
momentary thought; brief consideration · one's humble opinion; one's thoughts
foolish thought; stupid idea · (one's own) thought; (one's own) idea
surmising; speculation; conjecture
deceased father of the current emperor
deceased grandfather; deceased father and grandfather · distant ancestor; forefather
one's own thoughts; personal opinion; personal view
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Etymology The kanji 考 originally depicted an old person leaning on a stick, associated with 'aged' and later extended to 'think' or 'consider'. The reading こう is the on'yomi.
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