归纳 (guīnà) — to summarize, to generalize

归纳 (guīnà)

归纳 means to summarize or generalize, particularly by collecting specific instances and drawing general conclusions from them. It corresponds to the logical process of inductive reasoning — moving from particular facts to general principles. It is widely used in academic, scientific, and professional contexts when synthesizing information or drawing conclusions.

Meanings

1. [v] to summarize; to compile and organize
2. [v] to generalize; to reason inductively from specific examples

Example Sentences

研究者从大量案例中归纳出了几条普遍性规律。 Yánjiūzhě cóng dàliàng ànlì zhōng guīnàchūle jǐ tiáo pǔbiànxìng guīlǜ. The researchers generalized several universal laws from a large number of cases.

老师要求学生归纳每章的核心论点，以便期末复习。 Lǎoshī yāoqiú xuésheng guīnà měi zhāng de héxīn lùndiǎn, yǐbiàn qīmò fùxí. The teacher asked students to summarize the core arguments of each chapter for final exam review.

归纳法与演绎法是科学研究中两种互补的推理方式。 Guīnàfǎ yǔ yǎnyìfǎ shì kēxué yánjiū zhōng liǎng zhǒng hùbǔ de tuīlǐ fāngshì. Inductive and deductive reasoning are two complementary modes of reasoning in scientific research.

管理咨询师将访谈结果归纳为五个主要问题类别。 Guǎnlǐ zīxúnshī jiāng fǎngtán jiéguǒ guīnàwéi wǔ gè zhǔyào wèntí lèibié. The management consultant categorized the interview results into five main problem categories.

经过反复实验，科学家归纳出了细胞分裂的基本规律。 Jīngguò fǎnfù shíyàn, kēxuéjiā guīnàchūle xìbāo fēnliè de jīběn guīlǜ. After repeated experiments, scientists generalized the basic laws of cell division.

论文结语部分需要归纳全文的主要发现与理论贡献。 Lùnwén jiéyǔ bùfen xūyào guīnà quánwén de zhǔyào fāxiàn yǔ lǐlùn gòngxiàn. The conclusion section of the thesis needs to summarize the main findings and theoretical contributions of the entire paper.

Collocations

Usage Notes

归纳 is the Chinese equivalent of inductive reasoning and summarization. It is the logical opposite of 演绎 (yǎnyì), which is deductive reasoning. In everyday academic usage, 归纳 can simply mean "to summarize" without the strict philosophical meaning of induction. The phrase 归纳总结 (guīnà zǒngjié) is a common compound that means to summarize and draw conclusions.

The pattern 归纳为 (to categorize/classify as) is particularly useful: 可以归纳为三类 (can be summarized into three categories). 归纳 differs from 总结 (zǒngjié) in that 总结 more broadly means "to sum up" and often has a reflective, evaluative connotation, while 归纳 emphasizes the logical process of moving from specifics to generalities.

Memory Hook

归 (to return, to bring back) + 纳 (to receive, to incorporate): "bringing many things back and incorporating them into one" — the essence of inductive generalization.