GrammarN32 min read2026-02-17

に違いない

Express confident deduction or certainty based on facts and reasoning

Meaning

に違いない expresses the speaker's confident inference or assumption that something is definitely true based on factual reasoning. It conveys certainty about a conclusion drawn from observable evidence. The more polite form is に違いありません. This pattern can follow verbs, i-adjectives, na-adjectives, and nouns in their plain forms.

Formation

Part of speechFormation
动词普通形に違いない
い形容词に違いない
な形容词に違いない
名词に違いない

Examples

  1. 空気の汚染をこのままにしておくと、人々の健康に悪い影響を与えるに違いありません。
    If we leave air pollution as it is, it will definitely have negative effects on people's health.

  2. 真夏だし、明日も晴れて暑いに違いない。
    Since it's midsummer, tomorrow must be sunny and hot as well.

  3. 不動産屋の人に、この辺りは夜は静かに違いないといわれましたが、実際はのら猫が多くて、とてもうるさい。
    The real estate agent told me that this neighborhood is certainly quiet at night, but in reality there are many stray cats and it's very noisy.

  4. スーパーの前に立っている黒いコートの女の人は、わたしの母に違いありません。
    That woman in a black coat standing in front of the supermarket must definitely be my mother.

Summary

  • Used to express confident deduction or strong certainty based on factual reasoning
  • Attaches to plain forms of verbs, i-adjectives, na-adjectives, and nouns
  • More formal/polite version is に違いありません; commonly used in both spoken and written Japanese

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