発見
hakken[ha̠k̚kẽ̞ɴ]
The English word "discovery" is translated into Japanese as 発見 (hakken).
発見 refers to a discovery. This term is used for both scientific or intellectual breakthroughs and the act of finding something that was previously hidden or lost.
Meaning: something discovered (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
hakken
Did you know?
- The kanji part 発 in 発見 means 'to depart' or 'to emerge', implying that the thing discovered was already there, simply emerging into your view.
- The word 発見 is used in the phrase 大発見 to describe a 'great discovery', a term frequently used in Japanese variety shows to exaggerate the excitement of finding a hidden gem or a cheap shop.
- Japanese distinguishes between 発見 and 発明. While 発見 is for finding something that already existed in nature, 発明 is used strictly for 'invention', such as creating a new machine.
Examples in context
- 私は発見をした。I've made a discovery.This sentence is useful for expressing that you have made a discovery with the word 発見.Tatoeba #10917231 by SomeHungryBois, translation #929409 by CK
- 彼は重大な発見をした。He made an important discovery.This sentence is useful for describing an important discovery with the word 発見.Tatoeba #104334 by bunbuku, translation #299357 by CK
- これは驚くべき発見だ。This is a surprising discovery.This sentence is useful for describing a surprising discovery with the word 発見.Tatoeba #218449 by tommy__san, translation #55760 by CK
- 私たちは新しい発見をしました。We made a new discovery.
- 昨日、面白い本を発見したんだよ。I discovered an interesting book yesterday.
- 友達が新発見のレストランを見つけたんだ。My friend found a newly discovered restaurant.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are talking about a recent news article in a library.
- 陽葵 Himari新しい発見のニュースを見た？Atarashii hakken no nyuusu o mita?Did you see the news about the new discovery?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、すごい発見だよね。Un, sugoi hakken da yo ne.Yeah, it's an amazing discovery, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himari陽太くんも興味がある？Youta-kun mo kyoumi ga aru?Are you interested in it too, Youta?
- 陽太 Yotaもちろん、すごく面白そうだよ。Mochiron, sugoku omoshirosou da yo.Of course, it looks very interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “discovery” translations and entries 発見, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
