- JLPT N3
によって (depending on)
NikoJLPT N3: によって (depending on)
This is our first of six N3 lessons covering varying forms and uses of the phrase によって.
I don't think that the different uses of によって are all that hard to learn, personally. But, yeah, it's a versatile grammar point.
We'll just cover one usage at a time.
In this lesson, we're looking at how によって roughly corresponds to the English phrase "depending on."
Consider the following example:
時と場合によって、メガネとコンタクトを使い分けています。
とき と ばあい によって、 めがね と コンタクト を つかいわけています。
Depending on the time and situation, I wear either glasses or contacts.
時と場合によって is a set phrase.
Getting technical, our sentence pattern is:
NOUN expressing multiple possibilities ＋ によって ＋ differs from thing to thing, person to person, etc.
"NOUN expressing multiple possibilities?" Yeah, it's a bit wordy. But this is the same in English. For example, there are a wide variety of "times" and "situations," which is why we can say "Depending on the time and situation."
Let's say you have a favorite pen, though. "My favorite pen" is a NOUN phrase expressing only one possibility, so we can't say "Depending on my favorite pen." It sounds weird.
If your favorite pen is frequently changing, then that would be a different story: "Depending on my favorite pen that week, the color of my notes changes."
Uh... yeah.
Moving on...
👷 Construction 👷
Here's a cleaner breakdown of our grammar pattern:
NOUN ＋ によって
And here's another example using it:
前学期の成績によって生徒を三つのクラスに分けた。
ぜんがっき の せいせき によって せいと を みっつ の クラス に わけた。
We divided students into three classes based on their grades for the previous term [semester].
If there is a NOUN coming directly before and after によって, we say による instead:
NOUN ＋ による ＋ NOUN
For example, let's say that we're designing variations of a new product for our company. In discussing possible paths we could take for product design, features, etc, someone says...
世代による好みの違いも考慮に入れるべきです。
せだい による このみ の ちがい も こうりょ に いれる べきです。
The fact that preferences differ depending on the generation should also be taken into consideration.
If によって is at the end of our sentence, then it won't be in て-form.
Instead, you could say による or, as we see below, によります.
The following dialogue takes place at a zoo between a visitor that is taking a tour and a caretaker of the gorilla exhibit...
Visitor:
ゴリラの好きな食べ物は何ですか。
ゴリラ の すきな たべもの は なんです か。
What kind of food do gorillas like?
Caretaker:
ゴリラによります。
ゴリラ によります。
It depends on the gorilla.
Like I mentioned earlier, we still have to cover a lot of other uses of によって.
We're making progress, though!
Niko
