The Kanji: 偏 (Hen / Kata)
The kanji 偏 means "biased," "partial," or "to incline." It combines 亻 (person) with 扁 (flat), originally depicting someone leaning to one side. This character represents imbalance and one-sidedness.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 偏る (katayoru) - To be biased
栄養が偏る。
"Have unbalanced nutrition."
2. 偏見 (henken) - Prejudice
偏見を持たないようにする。
"Try not to have prejudices."
3. 偏向 (henkō) - Bias
報道の偏向が問題だ。
"Media bias is problematic."
4. 偏屈 (henkutsu) - Eccentric
彼は偏屈な性格だ。
"He has an eccentric personality."
In summary, 偏 describes various imbalances - from physical leaning (偏る) and mental prejudices (偏見) to media slant (偏向) and personality quirks (偏屈). It conveys the concept of deviation from balance in Japanese.