によって・
The word before によって is what the rest hangs on: what it varies with, how it was done, what caused it, or who did it. Only "depending on" is everyday speech. The others are mostly written.
depending on
Opinions differ from person to person.
because of
The window broke because of the strong wind.
by
This castle was built by the king in the sixteenth century.
How to form it
Noun + によって ／ Noun + による + noun
A verb goes in with こと (続けることによって), a question with か (誰が来るかによる, it depends on who comes). Notices and reports shorten によって to により.
Which によって is it?
The word before it tells you, with a little help from the verb after.
| Before に | It means | Like this |
|---|---|---|
| Things that vary: 人, 国, 店, 日 | Depending on | 人に |
| The same, as によっては | In some cases | 国に |
| A method, or something done on purpose: 話し合い, 調査 | By means of | 話し合いに |
| An event, usually one nobody chose: 台風, 事故 | Because of | 台風に |
| A person or a group, with a passive verb after | By (who did it) | 聖徳太子に |
| Any of these, as による before a noun | The same, describing the noun | 地震に |
| による ending the sentence | It depends on | 人に |
Out loud a method or a cause takes で, and "by" in an everyday passive is に: 先生に叱られた, told off by the teacher.
によると and によれば are a different expression: "according to".
Depending on
The everyday one. After it, usually 違う, 変わる or 異なる.
Business hours vary from store to store.
The price changes depending on the time of year.
による at the end: it depends
English can stop at "it depends". Japanese names what it depends on: 人による, 日による, 場合による.
Do all Japanese people like natto?
No, it depends on the person.
によっては: in some cases
With は you pick out some of them and say what is true there. The sentence often ends in こともある or かもしれない.
In some countries, hardly any stores are open on Sundays.
Depending on how things go, it may be canceled.
By means of
After it, what the method achieves. Reports and explanations talk this way. Out loud it is で.
Identity verification is performed through a dedicated app.
A company explaining its procedure.
You verify your identity with the dedicated app.
The same thing, said to a customer.
By keeping at it a little every day, you get better.
Not said: バスに
(I go to work by bus.)
A vehicle, or a tool in your hand, is で even in writing: バスで行きます.
Because of
After it, what happened as a result. News and notices put it this way. Out loud it is で, のせいで when you are annoyed, or a whole clause with から: 雪が降ったから.
The trains stopped due to heavy snow.
A news report.
The trains stopped because of heavy snow.
You, telling someone.
The trains stopped, and the heavy snow is to blame.
You, annoyed about it.
The service became unavailable in some areas due to a communications failure.
により, as a notice would put it.
By: who did it, in a written passive
History books, museum labels and news use it for whoever made, discovered or decided something. Out loud people say it the other way around: 国王が建てた, the king built it.
This law was discovered by a nineteenth-century physicist.
English "by" misleads here. In an everyday passive, where something is done to a person, whoever did it takes に.
This symphony was written by a young composer.
Something was made. With making, に can't mark the maker.
I was told off by my teacher.
Something was done to you, so に.
Sounds odd: 私は
I was told off by my teacher.
It reads like an official report on the incident.
による before a noun
Headlines and reports are full of it. Out loud people use a verb: 強風で欠航になった.
because of
Flights are being canceled one after another because of strong winds.
by
A survey by specialists confirmed that it is safe.
depending on
It is not unusual for people of different ages to think differently.
Close neighbours
"According to": it names where the information comes from.
According to the weather forecast, it will snow from tomorrow afternoon.
でN5
The everyday word for what you use and for what caused something. Your own cold and your own commute take で, not によって.
I took three days off work because of a cold.
The everyday "by": whoever did something to you.
I was praised by my teacher yesterday.
次第N2
One thing settles how it turns out: "it's up to", "it all depends on".
Whether you go is up to you.
Check yourself
1You are telling a friend about yesterday. Which sounds natural?
Choose an answer to see why.
2What does this mean?
この
Choose an answer to see why.
3"It depends on the day."
A
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
By means of, or because of?
The same word can be either. If someone set out to get the result, it is "by means of". If the result just followed, it is "because of".
We cut production time by automating the process.
They automated in order to save time.
Some jobs were lost because of rapid automation.
Nobody automated in order to lose jobs.
によるものだ
At the end of a sentence, によるものだ is "is due to".
This delay is due to heavy snow.
More sentences
depending on
How long the food stays safe to eat depends on how it is stored.
in some cases
Some staff members may be able to help you in English.
by means of
Through data analysis, we identified why sales had fallen.
because of
The number of tourists fell sharply because of the spread of an infectious disease.
by
This vaccine was developed by an international research team.
before a noun
We compared how usage fees differ from region to region.