判断 (pànduàn)

判断 means to judge or determine something based on available information. It implies an active mental process of weighing evidence and reaching a conclusion. As a noun it refers to the judgment or determination itself.

Meanings

[verb] To judge; to determine; to assess; to conclude.
[noun] Judgment; determination; assessment.

Example Sentences

根据现有的信息，很难判断哪个方案更合适。 Gēnjù xiànyǒu de xìnxī, hěn nán pànduàn nǎge fāng'àn gèng héshì. Based on the available information, it is hard to determine which plan is more suitable.

他的判断力非常强，很少做出错误的决定。 Tā de pànduàn lì fēicháng qiáng, hěn shǎo zuòchū cuòwù de juédìng. His judgment is very sharp; he rarely makes the wrong decision.

不能仅凭外表来判断一个人的品格。 Bù néng jǐn píng wàibiǎo lái pànduàn yīgè rén de pǐngé. You cannot judge a person's character by appearance alone.

通过这次讨论，我们对问题的判断更加清晰了。 Tōngguò zhè cì tǎolùn, wǒmen duì wèntí de pànduàn gèngjiā qīngxī le. Through this discussion, our judgment of the problem became much clearer.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
判断力	judgment; discernment
做出判断	make a judgment
准确判断	accurate judgment
判断错误	misjudgment; wrong assessment
根据…判断	judge based on…

Usage Notes

判断 is more analytical and deliberate than 觉得 (juéde, "to feel/think"). Use 判断 when the conclusion is based on reasoning or evidence. A useful pattern is 根据 X 来判断 (to judge based on X) or 从 X 来看 (judging from X). In logic and formal contexts, 判断 also translates as "proposition" or "statement."

Memory Hook

判 contains the knife radical 刂, suggesting a blade that cuts through ambiguity. 断 also means "to cut off / decide." Together they paint the image of a judge's blade cutting cleanly through the facts to reach a verdict.