归纳

• Pinyin: guī nà
• Hanzi breakdown: 归 = return, gather back; 纳 = 纟 (thread) + 内 (inside) — to take in or incorporate

Meaning

To summarise; to generalise; to draw a conclusion from specific cases. The method of inductive reasoning.

A key term in academic and logical discourse. 归纳法 refers to inductive reasoning — drawing general conclusions from specific observations. Also used in everyday professional contexts to mean 'to sum up' or 'to categorise'. Contrasts with 演绎 (deductive reasoning).

Examples

1. 老师要求学生将这学期所学知识归纳成一张思维导图。 The teacher asked students to summarize what they learned this semester into a mind map.
2. 他在报告结尾归纳了整个项目的主要成果与不足。 At the end of his report, he summarized the project’s main achievements and shortcomings.
3. 科学研究通常先用归纳法整理实验数据，再建立理论模型。 Scientific research usually first uses induction to organize experimental data and then builds a theoretical model.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, workplace, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请将本次调研的主要发现归纳为三到五条核心结论。(Please summarise the main findings of this survey into three to five core conclusions.)
• 这位讲师善于归纳复杂问题，把抽象理论讲得简单易懂。(This lecturer is skilled at summarising complex issues and making abstract theories easy to understand.)

Don't Say

• 我归纳了今天天气真好 — 归纳 requires drawing a conclusion from multiple cases or data points; for simple observations say 我觉得今天天气特别好

Origin & History

归 (return/bring together) + 纳 (incorporate/receive). Together: to bring together and incorporate — to gather scattered examples and form a unified conclusion.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal