Definition
发觉 (fājué) means 'to become aware of, to realize' — it emphasizes noticing something already present but not yet perceived, often through observation or intuition. It differs from 发现 (fāxiàn 'to discover'), which focuses on finding something new; and from 察觉 (chájué 'to sense, to perceive'), which is more subtle and used for intangible things like feelings or changes.
verb
to become aware ofto realizeto detect
Easily confused
- 发掘fā juésound-alike(literal) to excavate, to dig up (archaeological sites, relics)
Examples
- 发觉。Tā fā jué zìjǐ de qiánbāo bú jiàn le.He realized his wallet was gone.
- 发觉。Wǒ fā jué zhège jìhuà lǐ yǒu gè dà wèntí.I detected a major problem in this plan.
- 发觉。Tā mànmàn fā jué zìjǐ bèi qīpiàn le.She gradually became aware that she had been deceived.
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