Translation guide
The act of reaching a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning rather than direct observation. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through various nouns, verbs, and sentence-ending patterns that indicate deduction, speculation, or logical conclusion.
Expressing a conclusion drawn from evidence or reasoning, often in academic or formal contexts.
The most direct equivalent for logical inference, reasoning, or deduction. Used in formal, academic, and technical contexts.
His inference was correct.
Draw an inference from the data.
Often used for deductive reasoning, especially in detective work or logical puzzles. Implies a step-by-step reasoning process.
The detective made an inference from the evidence.
Inductive reasoning (specific to general). Technical term used in logic and philosophy.
Induction and deduction are two methods of inference.
Expressing a guess or assumption when evidence is limited, often in everyday conversation.
Plain form conjecture; 'probably', 'I think'. Used in casual speech and writing. The polite form is 〜でしょう.
Expresses possibility or uncertainty; 'might', 'may'. Less certain than 〜だろう.
That might be true. (inference with low confidence)
Expresses expectation based on reasoning; 'should', 'ought to'. Implies a logical conclusion from known facts.
He should have arrived by now. (inference based on departure time, etc.)
Strong conviction based on inference; 'must be', 'no doubt'. More emphatic than 〜はずだ.
That car must be expensive. (inference from its appearance)
Subjective inference based on sensory evidence or impression; 'it seems', 'it looks like'.
It seems someone has come. (inference from a sound)
Understanding something not directly stated, often in social or communicative contexts.
Sympathetic inference or guessing someone's feelings, situation, or unspoken thoughts. Often used in empathetic contexts.
I can infer his feelings.
To sense, perceive, or infer without explicit statement. Commonly used in the phrase 察してください (please understand/read between the lines).
Drawing conclusions from data using statistical methods.
推論 is the broadest term for logical inference. 推理 emphasizes a step-by-step reasoning process, often in detective contexts. 推定 is used for estimating unknown quantities or parameters, common in statistics.
Inference is important in science.
I like detective novels (literally 'inference novels').
Estimate the population.
English often uses 'infer' as a verb. In Japanese, the concept is frequently expressed through sentence-ending patterns like 〜だろう or 〜はずだ rather than a direct verb. Using 推論する is grammatically correct but can sound stiff in casual conversation.
言わなくても察してほしい。
I want you to infer without me saying it.
Literally 'read between the lines'. Used similarly to English, but less common in casual speech.
Reading between the lines of his letter, you can sense his sadness.
母平均を推定する。
Estimate the population mean.