Judging By: Судя по
In Russian, to draw a conclusion based on what you see, hear, or observe, use the phrase судя по (judging by). The preposition по requires the noun that follows it to be in the Dative case.
Always separate a судя по clause from the main sentence with a comma.
| Judging by the handwriting, a doctor wrote this. | Судя по почерку, это писал врач. |
| Judging by the accent, both brothers are foreigners. | Судя по акценту, оба брата — иностранцы. |
| Judging by his behavior, he has to leave soon. | Судя по его поведению, он должен скоро уйти. |
Reading Body Language
You will often make deductions based on physical traits and body language, such as someone's posture (осанка), gait (походка), or gestures (жесты).
Feminine nouns ending in -а change to -е in the Dative case (осанке, походке), while plurals take the -ам ending (жестам).
| Judging by her posture, she dances a lot. | Судя по её осанке, она много танцует. |
| Judging by his gait, he is very tired. | Судя по его походке, он очень устал. |
| Judging by the gestures, the actor is nervous. | Судя по жестам, актёр волнуется. |
Making Assumptions
When you want to explicitly state that you are making an inference, use the verb предполагать (to assume). You might base these assumptions on verbal cues, like a person's intonation (интонация) or manner (манера) of speaking.
| I assume that he is unlikely to understand this gesture. | Я предполагаю, что он вряд ли поймёт этот жест. |
| Judging by her intonation and manner of speaking, she is unlikely to agree. | Судя по её интонации и манере говорить, она вряд ли согласится. |
| One cannot assume anything without a reason. | Нельзя ничего предполагать без причины. |