目錄
The Japanese pattern 「noun＋次第だ」 means that the result depends on the condition that comes before it. In Chinese, it is often translated as “it depends on…” For example, 「成功するかどうかは努力次第だ」 does not simply mean that effort affects success. It means that whether someone succeeds has not yet been determined, and the final outcome depends on the degree of effort. 「次第で」 and 「次第では」 are also related to conditions, but they perform slightly different functions once they are placed in a sentence. This article separates these forms and also covers 「分かり次第」 and 「応募した次第です」 so that you do not interpret every instance of 「次第」 as simply meaning “it depends on the situation.”
What Does the Japanese 「〜次第だ」 Mean? It Is Not a Vague “It Depends”
Although 「〜次第だ」 is often translated into Chinese as “it depends on the situation,” Japanese sentences usually state exactly which condition the result depends on. It identifies the factor that determines the outcome. In the structure 「A は B 次第だ」, the result of A depends on B. This pattern is well suited to discussions of conditions such as success or failure, price, weather, the other party’s response, and the degree of effort.
「〜次第だ」 is also often used together with 「次第で」 and 「次第では」. The former means that something changes depending on a condition, while the latter means that depending on the circumstances, something may also happen. These forms all revolve around the same idea: something has not yet been finalized, and the result depends on the preceding condition.
How to Attach 「〜次第だ」: 次第だ, 次第で, and 次第では
「〜次第だ」 mainly attaches to nouns and indicates that something depends on the condition represented by that noun. Common forms include 「noun＋次第だ」, 「noun＋次第で」, and 「noun＋次第では」. 「Verb ます-stem＋次第」 means that the second action will be carried out immediately after the first is completed, while 「plain form＋次第です」 is often used to explain the reason for or circumstances behind something.
| Form | Attachment Example | Example Sentence | Core Meaning |
| noun＋次第だ | 努力次第だ | 成敗は努力次第だ | depends on effort |
| noun＋次第で | 天気次第で | 天気次第で変更する | changes depending on the weather |
| noun＋次第では | 結果次第では | 結果次第では中止する | depending on the result, it may… |
| verb ます-stem＋次第 | 分かり次第 | 分かり次第連絡する | contact as soon as it is known |
Usage ① of 「〜次第だ」｜The Result Depends on a Certain Condition
The most basic use of 「〜次第だ」 is to express that the result will be determined by a certain condition. That condition may be effort, price, weather, time, the other party’s response, and so on. The sentence often follows the structure 「A は B 次第だ」, meaning that the result of A is not fixed but is influenced by B.
- Example: 合格できるかどうかは努力次第です。
Kana: ごうかくできるかどうかは どりょくしだいです。
Translation: Whether you can pass depends on your effort.
「努力次第」 links the result of passing with the degree of effort, indicating that effort is the key factor. - Example: 旅行に行くかどうかは天気次第です。
Kana: りょこうに いくかどうかは てんきしだいです。
Translation: Whether we go on the trip depends on the weather.
This sentence indicates that whether the trip will take place has not yet been decided and depends on the weather conditions. - Example: この仕事を受けるかどうかは条件次第です。
Kana: このしごとを うけるかどうかは じょうけんしだいです。
Translation: Whether I take this job depends on the conditions.
「条件次第」 is often used in business or partnership decisions to indicate that the decision still depends on the conditions proposed by the other party.
Usage ② of 「〜次第で」｜Things Change Depending on the Condition
「〜次第で」 indicates that the result that follows changes depending on the preceding condition. Unlike 「〜次第だ」, which ends as a judgment statement, 「〜次第で」 directly connects to an action or change that follows. Common examples include 「天気次第で変更する」, 「値段次第で買う」, and 「結果次第で決める」.
- Example: 天気次第で予定を変更します。
Kana: てんきしだいで よていを へんこうします。
Translation: We will change the schedule depending on the weather.
「天気次第で」 indicates that the schedule change that follows depends on the weather. - Example: 値段次第で、このホテルに泊まるかどうか決めます。
Kana: ねだんしだいで、このほてるにとまるかどうかきめます。
Translation: Depending on the price, I will decide whether to stay at this hotel.
This sentence indicates that if the price is suitable, staying at the hotel may become a viable choice. - Example: 相手の返事次第で、次の準備に進みます。
Kana: あいてのへんじしだいで、つぎのじゅんびにすすめます。
Translation: We will move on to the next stage of preparation depending on the other party’s response.
「返事次第で」 is common in work-related messages and indicates that the next step depends on how the other party responds.
Usage ③ of 「〜次第では」｜Depending on the Situation, a Different Result May Occur
「〜次第では」 adds more of a sense of “under certain circumstances, this may also happen” than 「〜次第で」 and is often used to leave the result open. It frequently precedes verbs such as 「中止する」, 「変更する」, 「参加する」, and 「断る」, which describe actions that may change. This use is well suited to discussing risks or alternative plans that have not yet been finalized.
- Example: 結果次第では、計画を見直す必要があります。
Kana: けっかしだいでは、けいかくを みなおす ひつようが あります。
Translation: Depending on the result, we may need to review the plan.
「次第では」 indicates that if the result is not as expected, the plan may need to be changed. - Example: 状況次第では、出発を遅らせます。
Kana: じょうきょうしだいでは、しゅっぱつを おくらせます。
Translation: Depending on the situation, we may delay our departure.
This sentence is often used for travel or work arrangements. It indicates that nothing has been finalized yet and that the schedule may change if the circumstances change. - Example: 相手の返事次第では、参加を断るかもしれません。
Kana: あいての へんじしだいでは、さんかを ことわるかもしれません。
Translation: Depending on the other party’s response, I may decline to participate.
「次第では」 makes declining to participate one possible outcome rather than something that has already been decided.
What Is the Difference Between 「〜次第だ」, 「〜による」, and 「〜次第で」?
Both 「〜次第だ」 and 「〜による」 can indicate that something depends on something else, but their nuances differ. 「〜による」 is more neutral and objective and is often used to indicate a cause or basis. 「〜次第だ」 places greater emphasis on the fact that the outcome rests on a certain condition. 「〜次第で」 directly connects that condition to the action or change that follows.
| Comparison | 〜次第だ | 〜次第で | 〜による |
| Core nuance | the result depends on the condition | changes depending on the condition | basis, cause, or dependency |
| Common pattern | AはB次第だ | B次第でAする | AはBによる |
| Tone | has a sense of judgment | connects to an action or change | more neutral |
| Common situations | success or failure, decisions, conditions | schedules, choices, adjustments | causes, grounds, classifications |
▌What Is the Difference Between 「努力次第だ」 and 「努力による」?
❌ Incomplete nuance: 合格は努力によります。
✅ Natural: 合格できるかどうかは努力次第です。
「努力次第」 more clearly expresses that whether someone passes depends on the degree of effort.
▌Why Use 「〜次第で」 When an Action Follows?
❌ Incomplete: 天気次第だ予定を変更します。
✅ Natural: 天気次第で予定を変更します。
When directly connecting the condition to an action that follows, 「次第で」 is more natural than 「次第だ」.
▌「〜次第では」 Indicates That What Follows Is Only One Possible Result
❌ Too direct: 結果が悪ければ中止します。
✅ Softer: 結果次第では中止する可能性があります。
「次第では」 presents a result that may occur under a certain condition while leaving open the possibility of other outcomes.
「〜次第だ」 in Travel and Business Japanese: How to Talk About Weather, Conditions, and Responses
In travel and work arrangements in Japan, 「〜次第だ」 is often used to describe matters that have not yet been fully decided. In travel, the deciding factors may be weather, transportation, or price; at work, they may be budget, responses, or results. Using 「〜次第だ」 makes the uncertainty clear by identifying a specific condition instead of vaguely saying that “it depends.”
▌Situation ①｜A Travel Plan Depends on the Weather
A：明日の登山はどうしますか。
あしたの とざんは どうしますか。
What should we do about tomorrow’s hike?
B：天気次第で決めましょう。
てんきしだいで きめましょう。
Let’s decide depending on the weather.
📌 Grammar Point: 「天気次第で」 indicates that the action will change depending on the weather. It does not mean that the plan has already been completely canceled.
▌Situation ②｜Whether to Take a Work Project Depends on the Conditions
A：この案件を受けますか。
このあんけんを うけますか。
Are you going to take this project?
B：条件次第です。もう少し詳しく確認します。
じょうけんしだいです。もうすこし くわしく かくにんします。
It depends on the conditions. I’ll check the details a little more carefully.
📌 Grammar Point: 「条件次第です」 indicates that whether the project will be accepted depends on the conditions and is common in business decision-making.
▌Situation ③｜Adjusting a Plan Depending on the Result
A：調査の結果はいつ分かりますか。
ちょうさの けっかは いつ わかりますか。
When will we know the results of the investigation?
B：来週です。結果次第では、計画を変更します。
らいしゅうです。けっかしだいでは、けいかくを へんこうします。
Next week. Depending on the result, we may change the plan.
📌 Grammar Point: 「結果次第では」 indicates that the plan may be changed under certain results, leaving the outcome open.
Cultural Notes:
- 「次第」 often appears in formal discussions because it allows uncertainty to be expressed in terms of a specific condition rather than vaguely saying that something “depends on the situation.”
- In business Japanese, 「条件次第です」 and 「状況次第です」 are very common. They indicate that something has not yet been finalized without directly rejecting it.
- 「天気次第」 and 「値段次第」 are also useful in travel situations. These expressions make the conditions behind a plan clearer.
How Does the Japanese 「〜次第だ」 Compare With the Korean 「-에 달려 있다／-에 따라」?
◆ Similar Grammar: Korean 「-에 달려 있다」「-에 따라」
The Korean 「-에 달려 있다」 means that something depends on something else and is close to the Japanese 「〜次第だ」. Korean 「-에 따라」 means that something changes according to a certain condition and is close to Japanese 「〜次第で」. Both can be used when the result has not yet been fixed and depends on how the condition develops.
- Example: 성공은 노력에 달려 있어요.
Romanization: seong-gong-eun no-ryeo-ge dal-lyeo i-sseo-yo
Translation: Success depends on effort.
「에 달려 있다」 is close to the Japanese 「努力次第です」 and indicates that the result is determined by a certain condition. - Example: 날씨에 따라 일정을 바꿀 거예요.
Romanization: nal-ssi-e tta-ra il-jeong-eul ba-kkul geo-ye-yo
Translation: We will change the schedule depending on the weather.
「에 따라」 indicates that the action that follows changes according to the condition and is close to 「天気次第で」. - Example: 결과에 따라 계획을 다시 세울 수도 있어요.
Romanization: gyeol-gwa-e tta-ra gye-hoeg-eul da-si se-ul su-do i-sseo-yo
Translation: Depending on the result, we may also make a new plan.
This sentence is close to the Japanese 「結果次第では」 and leaves open a possibility.
◆ Core Difference From 「〜次第だ」:
In Japanese, the same word 「次第」 can develop into forms such as 「次第だ」, 「次第で」, and 「次第では」, while Korean often divides these meanings between expressions such as 「달려 있다」 and 「에 따라」. When reading Japanese, first check whether what follows is a judgment statement, an action statement, or a statement expressing possibility.
There is no need to memorize 「〜次第だ」 as a vague expression meaning only “it depends on the situation.” When it follows a noun, first identify which condition is determining the result. When 「で」 follows, look at what action or change comes next. When 「は」 is added, the sentence usually discusses a result that may occur under certain conditions. 「分かり次第」 and 「応募した次第です」, however, are two different uses and should not be grouped together.
FAQs
「〜次第だ」 means that something depends on or is determined by a certain condition. It is often used when the result has not yet been fixed and will be determined by effort, weather, price, conditions, a response, or another factor.
The 「次第」 that expresses dependency mainly follows nouns, as in 「努力次第」, 「天気次第」, and 「条件次第」. A form such as 「分かり次第連絡する」 represents a separate usage meaning “as soon as…”
「〜による」 is more neutral and can indicate a cause, basis, or dependency, while 「〜次第だ」 places greater emphasis on the result being in the hands of a certain condition. For example, 「成功は努力次第だ」 has a stronger sense of judgment than 「努力による」.
「〜次第で」 means that something changes depending on the condition, while 「〜次第では」 means that under certain conditions a particular result may occur. The latter often carries a sense of an open possibility, risk, or alternative plan.
Yes. 「天気次第です」 means that something depends on the weather. If an action follows, it is common to say 「天気次第で予定を変更します」.