推断 (tuīduàn) — to infer; inference

推断 (tuīduàn)

推断 means to arrive at a conclusion through reasoning from available evidence or known facts, and is essential in academic, scientific, and logical contexts.

Meanings

1. [verb] to infer; to deduce; to reason toward a conclusion
2. [noun] inference; deduction; conclusion drawn by reasoning

Example Sentences

根据现有证据，我们可以推断出案件的经过。 Gēnjù xiànyǒu zhèngjù, wǒmen kěyǐ tuīduàn chū ànjiàn de jīngguò. Based on the available evidence, we can infer the course of events in the case.

科学家们从化石中推断出了恐龙的生活习性。 Kēxuéjiāmen cóng huàshí zhōng tuīduàn chūle kǒnglóng de shēnghuó xíxìng. Scientists inferred the living habits of dinosaurs from fossils.

她的推断与实际情况完全吻合。 Tā de tuīduàn yǔ shíjì qíngkuàng wánquán wěnhé. Her inference matched the actual situation perfectly.

这一推断缺乏足够的事实依据。 Zhè yī tuīduàn quēfá zúgòu de shìshí yījù. This inference lacks sufficient factual basis.

通过数据分析，经济学家推断出市场将在下半年回暖。 Tōngguò shùjù fēnxī, jīngjìxuéjiā tuīduàn chū shìchǎng jiāng zài xià bànnián huínuǎn. Through data analysis, economists inferred that the market will recover in the second half of the year.

不能仅凭表面现象就轻易做出推断。 Bù néng jǐn píng biǎomiàn xiànxiàng jiù qīngyì zuòchū tuīduàn. One should not make inferences lightly based on surface phenomena alone.

Collocations

Usage Notes

推断 emphasizes the reasoning process that leads from evidence to a conclusion. It is more formal than 猜测 (cāicè, to guess) and implies a more systematic, evidence-based thought process. Compared with 推测 (tuīcè), which also means to speculate or infer, 推断 implies a firmer conclusion with stronger logical support, while 推测 may carry more uncertainty.

The structure 根据……推断出…… (to infer... based on...) is standard in academic and analytical writing. At B2 level, learners should use 推断 when the reasoning is based on evidence, and reserve 推测 for more tentative conclusions.

Memory Hook

TUI (推, to push/reason forward) + DUAN (断, to cut/conclude) = to push the reasoning forward and cut to a conclusion.