Translation guide
How to express that someone or something cannot be recognized, identified, or is no longer identifiable in Japanese.
The speaker cannot identify someone or something by sight, often due to change, damage, or disguise.
He was in disguise and I couldn't recognize him.
This photo is so blurry I can't tell who it is.
Literally 'don't know who it is'. Natural for not recognizing a person.
He was wearing a mask, so I couldn't tell who he was.
For objects: 'can't tell what it is'.
I couldn't tell what that object was.
More formal/literary: 'cannot distinguish/judge'. Used in technical contexts.
The damage was so severe that the model could not be identified.
Even if I look, I can't tell. Emphasizes visual inability.
I can't make out these characters even when I look at them.
Something or someone has changed so much that they are no longer recognizable as their former self.
Idiomatic: 'not a shadow of one's former self'. Used for drastic negative change in appearance or condition.
He was unrecognizable due to illness.
Literally 'does not retain its original form'. Used for objects or scenes that are completely destroyed or altered.
Has completely changed. Softer than the above, can be positive or negative.
No trace of the former appearance. Poetic/literary nuance.
There was no trace of the person I once knew.
The identity of someone or something is completely unknown; cannot be determined.
Cannot recognize by sound, voice, or other non-visual means.
There is no single Japanese adjective that directly corresponds to 'unrecognizable' in all contexts. Instead, use phrases like 見分けがつかない or 誰だかわからない depending on the situation.
The car was unrecognizable after the accident.
My hometown had changed so much I didn't recognize it.
Noun/na-adjective: 'identity unknown'. Often used for mysterious creatures, UFOs, etc.
An unidentifiable creature was sighted.