N2 · Expressions (N2)
ことから: from the fact that
evidence, and the origin of a name
ことから gives a fact as evidence for a conclusion — or as the origin of a name.
At a glance
- Remember
- ことから: from this fact we can tell — or this is why it is called that.
- Form
- 道が濡れていることからfrom the fact that the road is wet
- Signal words
- 〜ことから
- 〜であることから
- 〜と分かる
- 〜と呼ばれている
- Trap
- Wrong:お腹が空いたことから、ラーメンを食べた。Right:お腹が空いたので、ラーメンを食べた。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| from the fact that the road is wet | 道が濡れていることから |
| from the fact that it resembles … | 〜に似ていることから |
| from the fact that it is quiet | 静かなことから |
| from the fact that it is a port town | 港町であることから |
| … it can be seen that | 〜と分かる |
| … is how it got its name | 〜と呼ばれている |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
ことから gives a fact as evidence for a conclusion.
指紋が残っていたことから、犯人が分かった。The culprit was identified from the fingerprints that had been left.
It also explains where a name comes from.
桜が多いことから、この道は「桜通り」と呼ばれている。This road is called "Cherry Street" because there are so many cherry trees.
A noun takes である, a na-adjective な or である.
交通が便利なことから、この町は人気がある。Because transport links are good, this town is popular.
For an everyday personal reason, use から or ので.
疲れたので、早く寝た。I was tired, so I went to bed early.
Example sentences
電気がついていないことから、留守だと思われる。From the fact that the lights are off, it seems nobody is at home.
顔が似ていることから、二人は兄弟だと分かった。From their resemblance, it was clear the two were brothers.
形が富士山に似ていることから、この山は「小富士」と呼ばれている。This mountain is called "Little Fuji" because its shape resembles Mount Fuji.
多くの人が同じ症状を訴えたことから、調査が始まった。An investigation began after many people reported the same symptoms.
この地域は雪が多いことから、スキー場が多い。Because this region gets a lot of snow, there are many ski resorts.
港に近いことから、昔から貿易で栄えた。Being close to a port, it has prospered through trade since long ago.
7 more example sentences
足跡があることから、誰かが来たらしい。From the footprints, it seems somebody has been here.
白い壁が美しいことから、この城は「白鷺城」とも呼ばれる。Because of its beautiful white walls, the castle is also called "White Heron Castle".
答えが同じだったことから、写したことが分かった。Because the answers were identical, it became clear that one had been copied.
駅から近いことから、この店はいつも混んでいる。Because it is close to the station, this shop is always busy.
古い土器が見つかったことから、ここに村があったと考えられる。From the old pottery that was found, it is thought there was a village here.
水がきれいなことから、この町は酒づくりで有名になった。Because of its clean water, the town became famous for making sake.
言葉に訛りがあることから、関西の出身だと思った。From his accent, I took him to be from the Kansai region.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "because" works for a hungry stomach and for a scientific finding alike, and learners who have met ことから as "because" use it for both. But it presents evidence and draws a conclusion from it. Being hungry and eating ramen is a plain reason, and plain reasons take ので or から.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
ことから follows the plain form and presents a fact from which something is concluded: 道が濡れていることから、夜の間に雨が降ったと分かる, "from the fact that the road is wet, we can tell that it rained in the night". The second half is a judgement or an inference, often with と分かる, と考えられる or らしい.
The same pattern explains where a name comes from: 形が富士山に似ていることから、「〜富士」と呼ばれている, "it is called "… Fuji" because its shape resembles Mount Fuji". Guide books, encyclopedias and museum signs use it constantly.
A na-adjective takes な or である, and a noun takes である: 静かなことから, 港町であることから. It is written and formal; in speech the same reasoning is usually から or ので.
English "since" and "because" cover reasons of every kind, and learners use ことから for personal reasons: 疲れたことから、早く寝た sounds like a police report. The pattern belongs to evidence, explanation and naming, not to everyday motives.
A closer look
ことから and から
から gives a reason from the speaker's point of view: why I did something, why something happened. ことから turns the reason into a fact — the こと makes it a thing that can be observed — and so the second half becomes something that can be deduced from it, by anybody.
That is why ことから goes so well with と分かる, と考えられる, と言われている and the names of things. It sounds objective, and it is used precisely when a writer wants to sound objective.
Worth knowing (1)
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In explanations of names
Signs at temples, castles and parks follow a fixed order: a fact, then ことから, then the name with と呼ばれる or と名付けられた. Once the pattern is familiar, such signs can be read for their logic even with gaps in the vocabulary.
秋に紅葉が美しいことから、「もみじ谷」と名付けられた。It was named "Maple Valley" because the autumn leaves are so beautiful.
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