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Where Have I Seen ?

(KAN, mi(ru), shime(su): outlook, look, appearance, condition, view)

As you may have noticed, (mi(ru): to see) pops up inside . Sharing the yomi of mi(ru), as well as related meanings, these characters must be distant cousins.

You may be wondering where you’ve seen before. Perhaps you encountered it in 観光 (kankō: sightseeing, view + scenery) or in its spinoff words:

観光地 (kankōchi: sightseeing area)
      view + scenery + place
観光客 (kankōkyaku: tourist)
      view + scenery + spectator

You might also have run across in these words:

観測 (kansoku: observation)     view + to observe
観点 (kanten: point of view)      view + point
観劇 (kangeki: theater-going)     to observe + drama

Also, -観 is a suffix meaning “view, conception, theory,” as in the following:

価値観 (kachikan: values)     value + value + view
主観 (shukan: subjectivity)     subject + view
楽観 (rakkan: optimism)     easy + view
悲観 (hikan: pessimism)     sad + view

I adore this compound for its simple logic! I like the previous word, too, and I wanted to define as “pleasurable” (since optimism is a pleasurable feeling), but two dictionaries have the meaning of in 楽観 as “easy.”

先入観 (sennyūkan: preconception, bias, prejudice)
     before + to enter + view
人生観 (jinseikan: outlook on life)
     person + life + view
世界観 (sekaikan: worldview, outlook on the world)
     world + world + view

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