知觉
zhī jué · HSK 7
consciousness
👁️ 知 know + 觉 sense = knowing through the senses = perception
知 (zhī) means to know, and 觉 (jué) means to sense or feel. Together they form perception: knowledge that arrives through the senses. The same 觉 also appears in 感觉 (feeling/sensation).
觉 — see 见 + simplified 學 top 𭕄
觉 (traditional 覺) combines 學 (to learn, simplified to 𭕄) on top with 見 (to see) below, suggesting 'to perceive through learning.' Originally meaning 'to wake up' or 'become aware,' it extended to 'feel,' 'sense,' and 'sleep' (as in 睡觉). Read jué for awareness, jiào for sleep.