论据 (lùnjù) — evidence, grounds

论据 (lùnjù)

论据 refers to the evidence, grounds, or supporting material used to prove or substantiate a 论点 (argument/thesis). It encompasses factual evidence, statistics, examples, expert opinion, and logical reasoning. In formal Chinese argumentation, strong 论据 is considered as important as the 论点 itself.

Meanings

1. [n] evidence, grounds (material used to support an argument)
2. [n] basis, justification (the factual or logical foundation of a claim)

Example Sentences

一篇优秀的议论文不仅需要鲜明的论点，更需要翔实的论据。 Yī piān yōuxiù de yìlùnwén bùjǐn xūyào xiānmíng de lùndiǎn, gèng xūyào xiángshí de lùnjù. An excellent argumentative essay requires not only a clear thesis but also thorough and detailed evidence.

他援引了大量历史案例作为论据，使其论证极具说服力。 Tā yuányǐn le dàliàng lìshǐ ànlì zuòwéi lùnjù, shǐ qí lùnzhèng jí jù shuōfú lì. He cited a large number of historical cases as evidence, making his argumentation highly persuasive.

仅凭个别案例作为论据，无法支撑如此宏观的理论主张。 Jǐn píng gèbié ànlì zuòwéi lùnjù, wúfǎ zhīchēng rúcǐ hóngguān de lǐlùn zhǔzhāng. Relying solely on individual cases as evidence cannot support such a sweeping theoretical claim.

法庭要求检察官提供充分的论据，以支持其关于被告动机的指控。 Fǎtíng yāoqiú jiǎnchá guān tígōng chōngfèn de lùnjù, yǐ zhīchí qí guānyú bèigào dòngjī de zhǐkòng. The court required the prosecutor to provide sufficient evidence to support the accusation regarding the defendant's motive.

这项研究的最大缺陷在于其论据来源单一，缺乏多元视角的交叉验证。 Zhè xiàng yánjiū de zuìdà quēxiàn zàiyú qí lùnjù láiyuán dānyī, quēfá duōyuán shìjiǎo de jiāochā yànzhèng. The greatest weakness of this study is that its evidence comes from a single source, lacking cross-validation from multiple perspectives.

在跨文化争论中，什么构成有效的论据，本身就因文化而异。 Zài kuà wénhuà zhēnglùn zhōng, shénme gòuchéng yǒuxiào de lùnjù, běnshēn jiù yīn wénhuà ér yì. In cross-cultural debates, what constitutes valid evidence is itself culturally variable.

Collocations

Usage Notes

论据 is the formal term for evidence in argumentation, corresponding to the second of the three elements of argumentation (论点, 论据, 论证). It is distinguished from 证据 (zhèngjù), which is used specifically in legal contexts for physical or testimonial evidence. 论据 can be either 事实论据 (factual evidence: statistics, examples, experiments) or 理论论据 (theoretical evidence: established principles, authoritative quotations).

In Chinese high-school and university writing instruction, students are explicitly taught to match every 论点 with adequate 论据. Weak 论据 is a common criticism in essay marking.

Memory Hook

论 (argument) + 据 (basis/according to) — 论据 is what you stand on (据) when you make your argument (论).