outlook, look, appearance, condition
Also: view
On'yomi (音読み)
- カン
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- み.る
- しめ.す
About this kanji
The kanji 観 (kan) primarily means 'view' or 'outlook' and is commonly used as a noun. It appears in various compound words, such as 観客 (kankyaku), meaning 'spectator'; 観光 (kankou), which refers to 'sightseeing'; and 観察 (kansatsu), meaning 'observation.' This kanji emphasizes the act of seeing or observing something, whether it's in a literal or metaphorical sense. When using this kanji, remember that it often conveys a perspective or an appreciation of what one experiences, which adds depth to your understanding of culture and nature in Japan.
Example sentences
映画を観るのが好きです。
I like watching movies.
Meanings across languages
- English
- outlook, look, appearance, condition, view
- Tiếng Việt
- quan điểm, tham quan
- 日本語
- 観察, 景観
- 한국어
- 관짝, 모습
- 中文
- 观察, 视角
- id
- pandangan
- th
- มุมมอง
- es
- perspectiva
- fr
- vue
- de
- Aussicht
- pt
- perspectiva
Common compounds
- 観客かんきゃくspectator, audience
- 観光かんこうsightseeing, tourism
- 観察かんさつobservation, survey, watching
- 観測かんそくobservation, survey, measurement
- 観点かんてんpoint of view, viewpoint, standpoint
- 悲観ひかんpessimism, (taking a) gloomy view, discouragement
- 価値観かちかんsense of values, values, value system
- 外観がいかんoutward appearance, exterior appearance, outward show
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.