Inferring intent and utilizing context for natural language expressions in a data visualization user interface

A computing device displays an initial data visualization according to an initial visual specification that specifies a data source, visual variables, and data fields from the data source. The computing device receives a natural language command that includes a user request for information from the data source. The computing device identifies one or more keywords from the natural language command and determines, based on the keywords and one or more of (i) the data source, (ii) the visual variables, and/or (iii) the data fields of the initial visual specification, that the request indirectly specifies a first visual characteristic in the initial visual specification. The computing device generates one or more queries in accordance with the determining. The computing device executes the queries to retrieve data for a modified data visualization. The computing device generates and displays the modified data visualization.