覺

It is a phono-semantic compound, formed from:

見 (“to see”) as the semantic element;

𦥯, an abbreviated form of 學 (“to study, to learn”), as the phonetic element.

Together, the character expresses the idea of “perceiving through learning,” hence awakening or realization.

Historically, 覺 was written with the full form of 學, but later evolved into a shortened component (𦥯) for convenience. Because it embodies both seeing (perception) and learning (study), the character came to symbolize both awareness and enlightenment.

覺 carries both the concrete meaning of perception and the deeper, philosophical meaning of awakening and enlightenment, making it significant in both everyday and religious language.

자각 (自覺) – self-awareness

각성 (覺醒) – awakening, realization

환각 (幻覺) – hallucination, illusion

무의식/유의식 (無意識/有意識) – unconscious / conscious

불교 용어: 깨달음 (覺) is central in Buddhist texts, where it refers to enlightenment (보리, 菩提).

Simplified Chinese: 觉 (jué / jiào) – also used for “sleep” (to wake up, to sleep), showing semantic extension.

Japanese: 覚 (かく / さとる) – “to realize, to perceive,” also used in everyday vocabulary (e.g., 覚える oboeru “to memorize”).