Nによると (N ni yoru to) Meaning & Usage: “According to N” in Japanese

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to say “according to the news,” “according to the weather forecast,” or “according to what my friend said” in Japanese?

When you want to report information from a source and make that source clear, Japanese often uses Nによると.

1. Meaning: What does Nによると mean?

Nによると means:

• according to N
• based on N
• from what N says

It is used when you are conveying information you got from another source and want to make that source clear.

Core idea

With this grammar:

• N = the source of the information
• the rest of the sentence = the information you are reporting

Common sources used with Nによると

This pattern is used with nouns such as:

• ニュース = the news
• 天気予報てんきよほう = the weather forecast
• 新聞しんぶん = the newspaper
• 専門家せんもんか（の話はなし） = what an expert said

2. Formation

Noun + によると、Sentence

This pattern is used with hearsay / reported-information grammar at the end of the sentence, such as:

• ～そうだ
• ～らしい
• ～ということだ

Grammar breakdown

• に (particle)
  Marks the basis or source.
• よる (verb)
  In this expression, it has the meaning of “to be based on / according to.”
• と (particle)
  In によると, it forms a set expression meaning “according to.”

3. Useful Examples

天気予報てんきよほうによると、来週らいしゅうから気温きおんが下さがるそうです。
According to the weather forecast, temperatures are expected to drop starting next week.

今朝けさの新聞しんぶんによると、駅前えきまえに新あたらしい図書館としょかんができるみたいです。
According to this morning’s newspaper, it looks like a new library is going to be built in front of the station.

田中部長たなかぶちょうの話はなしによると、ゆうじさんは来月らいげつアメリカへ出張しゅっちょうするそうです。
According to Manager Tanaka, Yuuji is going on a business trip to the United States next month.

うわさによると、あの二人ふたりは付つき合あっているらしい。
Rumor has it that those two are dating.

4. Related grammar

Nによれば (A close variation)

You may also see Nによれば, which means the same thing.

Example: According to the weather forecast, it’s supposed to rain this afternoon.

• 天気予報てんきよほうによると、午後ごごから雨あめだそうです。
  天気予報によれば、午後から雨だそうです。

Compared with によると, によれば sounds a little more formal or written, but both are common.

Nによると + ～そうだ / ～らしい / ～ということだ

Nによると shows the source, but it does not by itself fully express hearsay.
That is why it is often used together with grammar such as:

• ～そうだ = I heard that…
• ～らしい = apparently / it seems
• ～ということだ = according to… / I heard that…

Compare: According to the news, gasoline prices are set to rise starting next week.

• ニュースによると、来週らいしゅうからガソリンの値段ねだんが上あがるそうだ。
• ニュースによると、来週からガソリンの値段が上がるらしい。
• ニュースによると、来週からガソリンの値段が上がるということだ。

All are natural, but the nuance is slightly different:

• ～そうだ → straightforward hearsay
• ～らしい → slightly softer / “apparently”
• ～ということだ → more formal, often used in reports or business contexts

Nの話では

～の話はなしでは can also introduce a source.

• 先生せんせいの話はなしでは、今回こんかいのJLPTは少すこし難むずかしかったそうです。
  According to my teacher, this JLPT was a little difficult.

Nによって vs. Nによると

While they look similar, their meanings are completely different.

• Nによると = According to N (Source of information)
• Nによって = Depending on N (or “By N” in passive sentences)
  • 人ひとによって意見いけんは異ことなります。= Opinions vary from person to person.
  • 大阪城おおさかじょうは豊臣秀吉とよとみひでよしによってつくられました。= Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

5. Practice

Translate the following English into Japanese using Nによると.

FAQ

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to use Nによると (N ni yoru to) to show the source of information in Japanese.

With this grammar, you can now:

• say naturally “according to N”,
• make it clear where your information comes from,
• and combine it with hearsay expressions like ～そうだ, ～らしい, and ～ということだ for more natural Japanese.