Translation guide
The English verb 'identify' has several core uses: recognizing someone or something, establishing identity, associating with a group, and considering something as equivalent. This guide organizes Japanese expressions by these meanings, from most common to more specific.
To recognize someone or something and be able to say who or what they are, often from observation or evidence.
The police identified the suspect.
It's difficult to identify the cause.
Focuses on distinguishing or discriminating one thing from others, often used in technical or scientific contexts.
This device can identify colors.
To tell apart or distinguish by looking; implies visual recognition or differentiation.
It's hard to identify the twins.
Casual way to say 'recognize who someone is', often used in everyday conversation.
Can you identify that person?
To prove or confirm who someone is, often through documents, testimony, or recognition.
To feel a connection or sense of belonging to a group, culture, or belief.
Literally 'identify oneself with ~', used for psychological or social identification. The particle と marks the group or idea.
He identifies as an artist.
Means 'to empathize with' or 'feel a connection to', often used when identifying with someone's feelings or experiences.
I identify with his struggles.
A more literal way to say 'consider oneself a member of', used for group identification.
To treat two things as identical or closely linked, often in abstract reasoning.
Used to equate two things, often in philosophical or critical contexts. The first 〜 is the object, the second 〜 is what it's equated with.
You shouldn't identify wealth with happiness.
Means 'to regard A as B', often used in rules or judgments. Less strong than 同一視する.
We identify lateness with absence.
When saying 'I identify as...' in Japanese, directly translating 'identify' can sound unnatural. Use phrases like 〜だと思う or 〜として生きている for gender/identity, or 〜に共感する for shared feelings.
I identify as a woman.
特定する is broader and more common for 'identify' in the sense of pinpointing something. 識別する emphasizes distinguishing between similar things and is more technical.
Noun meaning 'identity verification', often used in banking or online services.
For identification purposes, please present your driver's license.
I identify as a member of the team.