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.
彼は善悪を区別できない。
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.
双子を見分けることができますか？
Can you tell the twins apart?
本物と偽物を見分けるのは難しい。
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.
この装置は音声を識別する。
This device distinguishes voices.
To judge or discern a difference, often used in legal or analytical contexts. Less common in daily speech.
専門家は本物と偽物を判別できる。
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.
霧の中で船の灯りを認めた。
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.
彼の作品を特徴づけるのは独特の色彩感覚だ。
What distinguishes his work is a unique sense of color.
To make something stand out; to distinguish by making it prominent. Transitive verb.
その赤い屋根が家を際立たせている。
The red roof distinguishes the house.
To differentiate (a product, brand, etc.) from others; business/marketing term.
この機能が他社製品との差別化につながる。
This feature distinguishes our product from competitors'.
To do something very well and be noticed and praised for it.
To make a name for oneself; to distinguish oneself through achievement.
彼は研究で名を上げた。
He distinguished himself in research.
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.
善悪を区別する (○) / 善悪を見分ける (△: possible but less natural)
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.
暗闇で人影が見えた。
I could distinguish a figure in the dark.
彼女は鳥の鳴き声を聞き分けられる。
She can distinguish bird calls.
事実を見極める必要がある。
We need to distinguish the facts.
To distinguish oneself; to stand out from the crowd (literally 'show one's head/horns'). Often used for rising talent.
若手の中で彼が頭角を現した。
He distinguished himself among the young members.