"According to", "in line with", "in accordance with"
English says "to suit", "according to", "in line with" or "in accordance with" for six Japanese forms. Three say what something is made to fit: a pace or a date, an amount that varies, or the facts. Three say what it follows: a plan, an instruction, or a law. に合わせて is the most everyday, and the one to start with.
| Form | What it says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| に合わせて | Fits one thing: the music, someone's pace, a date | Everyday; shops, ads, news |
| に応じて | Fits something that varies: income, age, symptoms | Rules, price lists, manuals |
| に即して | Fits how things really are: the facts, local conditions | Policy papers, editorials, reports |
| に沿って | Follows a line: a river, a road, a plan | Everyday for a route; in offices for a plan |
| に従って | Follows an instruction, a rule or a manual | Announcements, manuals, signs |
| に則って | Follows a law, regulations or a tradition; sounds official | Privacy policies, company rules, statements |
Formal writing often has に応じ for に応じて and に則り for に則って.
に合わせて: making something fit
Full pageに合わせてN3
に合わせて says that you shape what you do to fit something: a rhythm, someone's pace, a budget, a date. That thing stays as it is.
The children clapped in time with the music.
You can choose from three courses to suit your budget.
What shops say.
The bus schedule will change to coincide with the opening of the new station.
Common in the news: timed to coincide with an event.
に応じて: matched to an amount, a level or a case
Full pageに応じて・
に応じて says that what is done, paid or given is matched to an amount, a level or a case. A level or someone's wishes can also come before に合わせて, which is less formal. Keeping time with the music, or timing something for an event, is only に合わせて.
Insurance premiums are set according to income.
The doctor adjusts the dose according to the symptoms.
Three phrases you'll meet everywhere
必要に応じてas needed
We will add materials as needed.
状況に応じてas the situation calls for
We will respond flexibly, as the situation calls for.
ご要望に応じ（て）on request
We will prepare an individual quotation on request.
Where it goes wrong
English says "depending on" and "according to" both when someone fits one thing to another and when things simply differ. に合わせて and に応じて are only for fitting. Where things simply differ, it is によって.
We change the menu to suit the season.
Someone changes it to fit.
The menu is different depending on the season.
It just differs. Nobody is shown adjusting anything.
Not said: 国に
(Customs differ according to the country.)
It is 国によって.
に即して: fitting how things really are
Full pageに即してN1
に即して says that what is done or made is fitted closely to how things really are. It is formal; in everyday speech people say に合わせて or に合った.
The report was corrected to match the facts.
The local government changed its counter hours to fit what residents need.
に沿って: following a line
Full pageに沿って・
に沿って says that you follow a line and stay with it: along a river or a road, or "in line with" a plan, a policy or someone's wishes.
We walked the path along the river.
We will carry out the survey in line with the plan.
We are very sorry that we cannot do as you wished.
How a polite no is written. 沿う is a verb too.
に従って: doing what an instruction or a rule says
Full pageにしたがってN2
After an instruction, a rule or a manual, に従って is "following". With に沿って you keep close to a plan; with に従って you do what you are told. Station staff and cabin crew say it. After a word for a change it means "as" instead.
Please follow the staff's instructions and move to your assigned seat.
I put the shelves together following the instructions.
に則って: following a law or an established rule
Full pageに則って・
に則って says that a law, a rule or a tradition lays down how something is done, and it is done that way. It is read のっとって, and often written in hiragana.
We manage the collected data appropriately in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act.
We, the athletes, pledge to compete fair and square, in keeping with sportsmanship.
The athletes' oath, in hiragana.
The tone is official: it tells you things are being done properly. With a company rule people also say に従って. With a recipe or a friend's advice に則って sounds like an official report.
Sounds odd: レシピに
I made curry in accordance with the recipe.
People say レシピどおりに作った or レシピに従って作った.
に即して or に則って?
Both are formal, and the kanji look alike. One fits the facts; the other follows a rule.
The disaster-preparedness plan was revised to fit actual local conditions.
The plan was changed to fit how things are locally.
The disaster-preparedness plan was revised in accordance with the national standards for disaster preparedness.
The plan was changed the way the national standards lay down.
With a rule you will also see に則して. It is read like に即して and means much the same as に則って.
Other things "according to" can mean
によって・によるN3
"Depending on" is its everyday use, usually with 違う or 変わる after it.
Business hours vary from store to store.
"According to": it names the source that told you something, such as the forecast, a survey or your doctor.
According to the weather forecast, it will snow from tomorrow afternoon.
とおり・どおりN3Everyday
"Exactly as" something was said, planned or shown, with nothing changed. 計画どおり is "according to plan".
The work is going according to plan.
に準じて・に準ずるN1Written, formalRules and notices
Something is handled by a rule written for something else.
Leave for contract staff is handled on the same footing as for regular staff.
に基づいてN2Written, formal
What is decided or done rests on a rule, a standard or the facts, and sticks to them. に則って can come after a law too, but not after data or experience.
The committee identified the cause of the accident based on the evidence submitted.
に基づいて is one way to say "based on". をもとに, を踏まえて, を前提に and に照らして are others: all five say what something is built on or judged against.