「〜に違いない」- It Must Be...

Explanation

「〜に違いない」 is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express strong certainty or conviction, meaning "it must be..." or "it is definitely...". This pattern conveys the speaker's strong belief or intuition about something, often based on some kind of evidence or gut feeling.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb Plain Form + に違いない	Verb Plain Form	Expresses strong certainty that something "must be..." or "is definitely...".
い-Adjective Plain Form + に違いない	い-Adjective Plain Form	Expresses strong certainty that something "must be..." or "is definitely...".
な-Adjective Stem + に違いない	な-Adjective Stem	Expresses strong certainty that something "must be..." or "is definitely...".
Noun + に違いない	Noun	Expresses strong certainty that something "must be..." or "is definitely...".

Basic Usage

Connection

• Verb Plain Form + に違いない
• い-Adjective Plain Form + に違いない
• な-Adjective Stem + に違いない
• Noun + に違いない

Meaning

• Indicates the speaker's strong conviction that something "must be..." or "is definitely...".

Examples

• 彼かれは 来くるに違いない。
• Kare wa kuru ni chigainai.
• He must be coming.
  

• 彼女かのじょは 試験しけんに 合格ごうかくしたに違いない。
• Kanojo wa shiken ni goukaku shita ni chigainai.
• She must have passed the exam.
  

• このこの料理りょうりは 美味おいしいに違いない。
• Kono ryouri wa oishii ni chigainai.
• This dish must be delicious.
  

• 彼かれは 有名ゆうめいな作家さっかに違いない。
• Kare wa yuumei na sakka ni chigainai.
• He must be a famous writer.
  

Comparison and Differences

Although both 「〜に違いない」 and 「〜はずだ」 express speculation, they differ in tone and basis.

Grammar Point	Tone	Basis
〜に違いない	Strong conviction	Based on intuition or strong belief
〜はずだ	More objective	Based on logic or facts

Examples:

• 彼かれは 来くるに違いない。（I'm sure he will come）
• 彼かれは 来くるはずだ。（Based on the situation, he should come）

Deep Dive

「〜に違いない」 is primarily used to express the speaker's strong conviction about something. This conviction is often based on intuition, experience, or strong belief rather than concrete evidence. As a result, it is more subjective and carries a stronger tone compared to 「〜はずだ」.

Summary

「〜に違いない」 is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express strong certainty, meaning "it must be..." or "it is definitely...". Mastering this pattern allows you to convey your convictions and speculations more accurately in both casual and formal settings.