偏見（へんけん、henkeん）
- prejudice

The Japanese word 偏見, pronounced へんけん (henken), translates to "prejudice," "bias," or "preconceived notion" in English. It refers to a preconceived judgment or opinion about someone or something, usually based on limited information or stereotypes, and often involves unfair or negative feelings. It implies a lack of objectivity and can lead to discrimination or unfair treatment.

⚫︎偏見を持たずに、人々の話を聞くことが大切です。 Translation: It is important to listen to people without prejudice. ⚫︎あの人は、外国人に対して強い偏見がある。 Translation: That person has strong prejudices against foreigners. ⚫︎テレビの報道は、いつも偏見を含んでいるように感じる。 Translation: I feel like the television news always contains bias.

You can use 偏見 when discussing someone's unfair opinions, biased perspectives, or when pointing out the existence of prejudice in society. It can be used in various contexts, from personal relationships to broader social and political discussions. It is important to use it with care, as it deals with sensitive topics.

偏見 is typically written in kanji 偏見, but it is sometimes written in hiragana へんけん for emphasis or for learners. There are no significant variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ 差別 (sabetsu) - Discrimination ⚫︎ 先入観 (sennyuukan) - Preconception, preconceived idea ⚫︎ 思い込み (omoikomi) - Assumption, belief ⚫︎ 偏った見方 (katayotta mikata) - Biased viewpoint

⚫︎ 公平 (kouhei) - Fairness, impartiality ⚫︎ 客観 (kyakkan) - Objectivity ⚫︎ 中立 (chuuritsu) - Neutrality ⚫︎ 公正 (kousei) - Justice, fairness

彼女は、女性に対する偏見をなくすために活動しています。 ・Translation: She is working to eliminate prejudice against women. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 偏見 can be used when discussing efforts to address societal biases.

彼は、人種偏見について深く考えている。 ・Translation: He is thinking deeply about racial prejudice. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the use of 偏見 when referring to a specific type of prejudice, in this case, racial discrimination.

The word 偏見 is a compound word formed from two kanji: 偏 (hen), meaning "bias," "partial," or "uneven," and 見 (ken), meaning "view," "opinion," or "judgment." Thus, the word's etymology directly reflects its meaning: a biased or partial view.