This paper describes some basic concepts for the analysis of the phenomena of interference among parts of a machine in a motion. First, a hierarchical representation scheme is introduced for a variety of structures extracted from a machine through different views of its attributes, following which, a series of predicates, "Σr-interferential" (r=1, 2, …, 5), are added to the scheme as ones with which to state the properties of these structures in terms of whether they necessarily cause interference or not. Next, a basic relationship among these predicates is deduced, which shows that they form a hierarchy according as the structures do. Applying the concepts described in this paper, an example of a machine structure is examined as to interference, and a brief discussion is made on what kind of function an interference checking method, as a design tool, should have.