JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N3 grammar · Chapter 12

~に違いない

Be strongly convinced that something is true

You’ll be able to make a confident conclusion when the available facts make one explanation seem almost certain.

Illustration of the scene described by Because of the nice smell, the tent next door must be having a barbecue.
Read it first

いいにおいがするから、隣となりのテントでバーベキューをしているに違ちがいない。

ii nioi ga suru kara, tonari no tento de baabekyuu o shite iru ni chigainai.

What do you think this sentence means?

Because of the nice smell, the tent next door must be having a barbecue.

Why it means that

Express strong certainty based on evidence

~に違ちがいない expresses the speaker's firm belief or strong conviction that something is definitely true, deduced from objective evidence or circumstances ("must be...", "there is no doubt that...").

Examples

あの店みせはいつも人ひとが並ならんでいるから、おいしいに違ちがいない。

ano mise wa itsumo hito ga narande iru kara, oishii ni chigainai.

There is always a line at that restaurant, so it must be good.

この字じは父ちちの字じに違ちがいありません。

kono ji wa chichi no ji ni chigai arimasen.

This handwriting must be my father’s.

How it is built

Attach に違いない to a plain form or noun

Attach に違ちがいない directly to the plain form of verbs, i-adjectives, na-adjectives (stem without だ), or nouns (without だ).

plain clause / noun+に違いない
Example

何日なんにちも徹夜てつやで働はたらいたのだから、疲つかれているに違ちがいない。

nannichi mo tetsuya de hataraita no da kara, tsukarete iru ni chigainai.

Since they worked all night for days, they must be exhausted.

Examples

玄関げんかんに知しらない靴くつがある。お客きゃくさんが来きているに違ちがいない。

genkan ni shiranai kutsu ga aru. okyakusan ga kite iru ni chigai nai.

There are shoes I don’t recognize at the entrance. We must have a guest.

犬いぬがドアの前まえでしっぽを振ふっている。兄あにが帰かえってきたに違ちがいない。

inu ga doa no mae de shippo o futte iru. ani ga kaette kita ni chigai nai.

The dog is wagging its tail in front of the door. My brother must have come home.

窓まどのガラスが割わられているから、犯人はんにんはそこから入はいったに違ちがいない。

mado no garasu ga wararete iru kara, hannin wa soko kara haitta ni chigai nai.

The window glass has been broken, so the culprit must have got in that way.

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