The kanji 診 primarily means "to examine," "to diagnose," or "to inspect," particularly in a medical context. It refers to the act of a doctor or medical professional examining a patient to determine the nature of an illness or injury. It implies careful observation and assessment.

・On-yomi (音読み): シン (shin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): みる (miru)

⚫︎ 診察 (shinsatsu) Translation: Medical examination, diagnosis. ⚫︎ 診断 (shindan) Translation: Diagnosis. ⚫︎ 内科の診察 (naika no shinsatsu) Translation: Internal medicine examination.

The kanji 診 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). It is composed of two parts: * The radical 言 (gen/gon), meaning "speech" or "words," which suggests communication or discussion. * The phonetic component 㐱 (shin), which contributes to the sound and, perhaps, the overall meaning. Initially, 言 would imply the doctor’s verbal questioning and observation, which is a key part of the examination. The development over time led to an association with careful examination.