直觉 zhíjué intuition
How to remember 直觉: 直 straight + 觉 feel = intuition.
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How it is used
- A gut feeling or hunch - 我的直觉告诉我他在说谎 (wǒ de zhíjué gàosu wǒ tā zài shuōhuǎng) my intuition tells me he's lying.
- Contrast 直观 (intuitive/clear to perceive): 直觉 is the internal sixth sense, 直观 describes how obvious something looks. Often 凭直觉 (píng zhíjué) 'going on instinct'.