Translation guide
How to express the idea of 'distinguish' in Japanese, covering telling things apart, recognizing differences, and making something stand out.
To perceive or recognize the difference between two or more things.
The most common and general verb for distinguishing or telling things apart. Used for concrete and abstract differences.
He can't distinguish between right and wrong.
It's hard to distinguish these two colors.
To distinguish by looking; to tell apart visually. Often used for physical objects, people, or appearances.
Can you tell the twins apart?
It's hard to distinguish the real thing from the fake.
To identify or distinguish, often used in technical or formal contexts, such as identifying species, signals, or patterns.
This device distinguishes voices.
To judge or discern a difference, often used in legal or analytical contexts. Less common in daily speech.
Experts can distinguish genuine articles from fakes.
To be able to see, hear, or understand something with effort, often in difficult conditions.
To recognize or discern visually, often used when something is hard to see. Also means 'to admit' or 'to acknowledge' in other contexts.
I distinguished the ship's light in the fog.
To distinguish by hearing; to tell sounds apart. Used for voices, musical notes, etc.
To ascertain or distinguish after careful observation; to see through to the truth. Implies a deeper judgment.
To be a feature that makes someone or something different and noticeable.
To characterize or distinguish as a defining feature. Often used in descriptions of traits.
What distinguishes his work is a unique sense of color.
To make something stand out; to distinguish by making it prominent. Transitive verb.
The red roof distinguishes the house.
To differentiate (a product, brand, etc.) from others; business/marketing term.
To do something very well and be noticed and praised for it.
区別する is a general verb for distinguishing any kind of difference (abstract or concrete). 見分ける specifically means to tell apart by looking, so it's used for visual distinctions like colors, faces, or objects.
distinguish right from wrong
English 'distinguish' can mean 'to make out' (e.g., distinguish a shape in the dark). In Japanese, 認める (みとめる) or simply 見える (みえる) is often more natural than 区別する.
I could distinguish a figure in the dark.
She can distinguish bird calls.
We need to distinguish the facts.
This feature distinguishes our product from competitors'.
To distinguish oneself; to stand out from the crowd (literally 'show one's head/horns'). Often used for rising talent.
He distinguished himself among the young members.