The present disclosure describes techniques for flash-based soft information generation. In some aspects a flash-memory device includes a soft information generator configured to determine soft information for a data value stored by a flash-memory cell. The soft information includes fewer bits than a number of data bits read from the flash-memory cell from which the soft information is generated. When the flash-memory device transfers the soft information to a memory controller, fewer bits per data value are transferred. By so doing, an efficiency of a data link between the flash memory device and the memory controller may be improved.