Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 偏見 | henken | [hẽ̞ŋkẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 偏り | katayori | [ka̠ta̠jo̞ɾʲi] (narrow) |
| 傾斜 | keisha | [ke̞ːɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 傾向 | keikō | [ke̞ːko̞ː] (narrow) |
| 思い込み | omoikomi | [o̞mo̞iko̞mʲi] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for bias depending on whether you are talking about a social prejudice, a statistical tendency or a mental assumption. 偏見 (henken) is a common way to express bias, specifically conveying prejudice or preconceived notions.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 偏り (katayori) literally refers to a physical or statistical skew, an imbalance or a deviation in a distribution.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends heavily on the connotation. 偏見 is used specifically for a negative bias or prejudice against a person or group. In contrast, 傾向 (keikō) is a neutral term used to describe a tendency, inclination or statistical bias. If you are referring to a cognitive bias or a fixed belief held in one's own mind regardless of reality, use 思い込み (omoikomi), which means an assumption or preconceived notion.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
henken
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese pop culture, the word 推し (oshi) is used to describe one's 'bias' or favorite member of a group, which is a completely positive and affectionate term.
- While English 'bias' can be a neutral statistical term, using 偏見 (henken) in a business meeting would almost always sound like an accusation of prejudice.
- The term 偏り (katayori) is also used in Japanese cooking to describe a 'bias' or imbalance in the nutritional value of a meal.
Examples in context
- 彼の意見は偏見に基づいていると思います。I believe his opinion is based on bias.
- あいつ、えこひいきしてるから公平じゃないよ。He's biased, so he isn't fair.
- 彼女の主観的な見方が問題とされています。Her subjective perspective is considered a problem.
- 彼は偏見を持っています。Kare wa henken o motte imasu.He has a bias.
- 偏見を捨てることが大切です。Henken o suteru koto ga taisetsu desu.It is important to discard prejudice.
- そのニュースには偏見が含まれています。Sono nyūsu ni wa henken ga fukumarete imasu.That news contains bias.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are discussing social stereotypes.
- 美咲 Misakiそういう考えは偏見じゃない？Sou iu kangae wa henken janai?Isn't that way of thinking a bias?
- 健太 Kentaそうかもしれないけど、普通だよ。Sou kamo shirenai kedo, futsuu da yo.Maybe, but it's common.
- 美咲 Misaki偏見は変えたほうがいいと思う。Henken wa kaeta hou ga ii to omou.I think you should change your bias.
- 健太 Kenta分かった。気をつけるよ。Wakatta. Ki o tsukeru yo.I understand. I'll be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bias” translations and entries 偏見, 偏り, 傾斜, 傾向, 思い込み, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
