～ことから— Judging From The Fact

• 煙が出ていることから、火事だと分かった。

  Kemuri ga dete iru koto kara, kaji da to wakatta.

  From the fact that smoke was rising, we knew it was a fire.

  煙が出ている + ことから = judgment drawn from that evidence

• 富士山に似ていることから、この山は「〇〇富士」と呼ばれる。

  Fujisan ni nite iru koto kara, kono yama wa 'marumaru Fuji' to yobareru.

  Because it resembles Mt. Fuji, this mountain is called a 'local Fuji'.

  似ている + ことから explains the origin of the name

• 彼女の顔色が悪いことから、体調が悪いと察した。

  Kanojo no kaoiro ga warui koto kara, taichou ga warui to sasshita.

  From the fact that she looked pale, I sensed she was unwell.

  顔色が悪い + ことから = reasoning from an observed fact

• ・Frequently used to explain the origin of names, nicknames, and titles.
• ・More objective/logical and written than から or ので.
• ・The second clause is usually a conclusion, judgment, or established fact — not a command or request.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～ことから is tested against.

• ～あまり(に) — So Much That It Overwhelms
• ～おかげで — Thanks To
• ～せいで — Because Of (And I Blame It)
• ～せいか — Perhaps Because Of
• ～からといって — Just Because
• 次第だ／次第で — It All Depends
• だけあって — Living Up to It
• ～につれて — As One Thing Changes, So Does Another