観念
かんねん · kannen · JLPT N2 · noun
idea
💡 観 (view) + 念 (thought/mind): a view held in the mind = an idea or notion
観 means to observe or view, and 念 means thought or feeling held in the heart. Together they describe a concept formed by viewing something in thought, which gives the sense of an idea or notion.
念 — 今 (now, phonetic) + 心 (heart)
念 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 心 (heart) gives the meaning, while 今 (now) supplies the sound. The original sense was 'what is on the heart right now' — a thought held in mind. From this came the modern meanings 'to think of,' 'to miss,' and 'to recite' (holding words in mind).