In gemma-4-31B-it, it stands for Instruction Tuned.
For most users, that means this version is designed for chat, Q&A, coding help, and other instruction-following tasks.
What it means
Models often come in two common forms:
- Base / Pre-trained: closer to a raw next-token predictor
it: tuned to follow user instructions more reliably
If you ask something like “translate this text” or “write a Python script”, the it version usually behaves more like an assistant.
What 31B means
31B means the model has about 31 billion parameters.
In general:
- more parameters often mean stronger capability
- but also higher VRAM or RAM requirements
So 31B is a relatively large model and needs stronger hardware.
What Gemma-4 means
Gemma-4 identifies the model family and generation:
Gemma: Google’s open model family4: the fourth generation in that family
Which one to choose
If your goal is chat, Q&A, translation, or coding, the -it version is usually the better choice.
The base version is more relevant for lower-level research, fine-tuning, or custom training workflows.
One-line summary
gemma-4-31B-it means: Gemma 4 family, 31 billion parameters, instruction-tuned for conversation and task execution.