судя по + Dative

Evidential Formula Судя По

Level 6Sounds Like sudâ po + datelʹnyj

судя по + [Dative Case] = "Judging by..." or "Based on..."
Used to state an inference or deduction based on what you see, hear, or know.

How It Works

The phrase судя по is a versatile tool for making logical deductions in both casual and formal Russian.

1. Morphological Nature:
Although it originates from the verb судить, in this context, it is a fixed unit. It does not change for gender, number, or person. The noun or pronoun following the preposition по must be in the dative case to indicate the basis of the judgment. A key distinction is the stress: in this prepositional usage, the stress is always on the first syllable (су́дя), whereas the literal gerund judging is always stressed on the suffix (судя́).

2. Common Variations:

  • судя по всему: A very common parenthetical meaning "judging by everything" or "by the looks of it."
  • судя по тому, что...: Used when the evidence is an entire clause rather than just a noun (e.g., "Judging by the fact that...").

3. Punctuation and Usage:
In most cases, this phrase acts as a parenthetical construction and should be set off by commas. However, if the phrase is the semantic heart of the sentence, commas are omitted (e.g., Он всё делает судя по настроению). It is important to distinguish this from the literal gerund судя (without по), which means the act of judging a person or a competition (e.g., Судя участников, арбитр был строг).

4. Nuance:
It implies a degree of "deductive guesswork." You aren't stating a direct fact you know for certain; you are sharing a conclusion you've reached by observing specific signs.

Examples (4)

  1. Судя по всему, мы опоздали на поезд.

    Judging by everything, we missed the train.

    Word by Word: Judging by all, we late for train.

    Uses the fixed phrase 'судя по всему' to indicate a general conclusion based on the current situation.

  2. Судя по его лицу, новость была неприятной.

    Judging by his face, the news was unpleasant.

    Word by Word: Judging by his face, news was unpleasant.

    The noun 'лицо' (face) is in the dative case 'лицу' after the preposition 'по'.

  3. Судя по тому, что свет в окнах не горит, дома никого нет.

    Judging by the fact that the lights aren't on, no one is home.

    Word by Word: Judging by that, that light in windows not burns, at home no one is not.

    Demonstrates the complex conjunction 'судя по тому, что' to introduce a full clause as evidence.

  4. Судя по прогнозу погоды, завтра будет дождь.

    Judging by the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Judging by forecast of weather, tomorrow will be rain.

    The evidence is the 'прогноз' (forecast), which takes the dative form 'прогнозу'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the genitive case instead of the dative.

    Судя по отчёта, всё хорошо.
    Судя по отчёту, всё хорошо.

    Learners often confuse 'по' with prepositions like 'из-за' or 'после' which take the genitive. 'Судя по' strictly requires the dative case (отчёту).

  • 'Судя по его словам' and 'по его словам' do not mean the same thing.

    Different MeaningСудя по его словам, он придёт.
    По его словам, он придёт.

    'Судя по его словам' is correct, but it means 'judging by what he said', a conclusion you draw. Use 'по его словам' to simply report what he said.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

судя по + DativeLevel 6Evidential Formula Судя По

Learn This First

To learn the evidential formula 'судя по', a learner must be comfortable with the dative case endings for nouns. Additionally, recognizing that 'судя' is a gerund (деепричастие) helps in understanding the literal meaning 'judging by', while familiarity with other dative-governing prepositions helps contextualize its use in formal or logical inferences.

Words in This Pattern

судить