Chinese word

鉴别

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiàn bié

Meaning

  • verbdistinguish

Example

这件东西很难鉴别真假。zhè jiàn dōng xī hěn nán jiàn bié zhēn jiǎ

It is hard to tell whether this item is genuine or fake.

Illustration for 鉴别 (distinguish)

More examples

法医可以通过检验鉴别血样的来源。fǎ yī ké yǐ tōng guò jiǎn yàn jiàn bié xuè yàng de lái yuán

A forensic doctor can identify the source of a blood sample through testing.

Core concept

Close comparison that uncovers an object's identity, nature, or authenticity instead of relying on a first impression.

Common phrases

  • 鉴别真伪jiàn bié zhēn wěi

    distinguish genuine from fake

  • 鉴别成分jiàn bié chéng fèn

    identify ingredients

  • 鉴别来源jiàn bié lái yuán

    identify the source

Similar words

识别shí bié: Recognize what a person, object, or piece of information is from its features or patterns.
分辨fēn biàn: Distinguish similar things by finding their differences and telling them apart.
鉴定jiàn dìng: Determine an object's authenticity or nature through professional testing and expert knowledge.
辨认biàn rèn: Recognize a person or object from clues connected with a previous sight or sound.

Definition in Chinese

通过仔细观察、检验或比对，判断事物的真伪或属性。tōng guò zǐ xì guān chá jiǎn yàn huò bǐ duì pàn duàn shì wù de zhēn wěi huò shǔ xìng

Word origin

鉴 (jiàn, "examine and assess") + 别 (bié, "separate and distinguish") forms a verb for reaching a judgment by examining differences.

Usage tips

  • The word fits situations where a claim about quality or genuineness needs support, so it often sounds more deliberate than a verb for simply noticing a visible difference.

Other meanings

  • identifyverb
  • authenticateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 鉴别诊断jiàn bié zhěn duàndifferential diagnosisnoun
  • 鉴别力jiàn bié lìdiscernmentnoun
  • 鉴别方法jiàn bié fāng fǎidentification methodnoun

Word lists with this word