目錄
Once you reach a certain stage in learning Japanese, you will keep running into 「による」 when reading Japanese news or reports from schools and companies. In Chinese translation, it usually looks like a straightforward “caused by…” or “resulting from…,” so the meaning itself is not difficult to understand. The problem often appears when you actually try to write a sentence or answer a grammar multiple-choice question. Even though these forms can all express causes or means, 「による」 must be used when what follows is a noun. If what follows is a verb or the rest of a sentence, you need to switch to 「によって」 or 「により」.
What are the uses of Japanese 「による」? Core functions explained
The core function of 「による」 is attributive modification: it appears directly before a noun and explains what caused that noun, what brought it about, or by what means it was produced. This usage appears constantly in news headlines, report titles, and academic writing, as in 「台風による被害状況」 and 「AIによる自動翻訳」. Once you understand this point, it becomes much easier to see why 「による」 has such a fixed position within the broader 「によって」 family—it appears almost exclusively immediately before a noun and does not take a comma or a full sentence after it in the way 「によって」 does.
Attachment pattern
The attachment pattern for 「による」 is very simple: add 「による」 to a noun, then place another noun directly after it to form a structure meaning “B caused by A.” This attributive position is the main dividing line between 「による」 and 「によって」.
| What it attaches to | Pattern | Example |
| Noun (cause / method) | noun＋による＋noun | 地震による被害 |
| Noun (agent) | noun＋による＋action noun | 専門家による分析 |
Usage ① of 「による」｜Modifying a noun to express a cause or method
In this usage, the “cause or method” is placed before 「による」 to modify the noun that follows, explaining what caused a particular result or phenomenon. It is common in formal written contexts such as news headlines and report titles.
- Example: 地震による被害は甚大だった。
Translation: The damage caused by the earthquake was extensive.
Here, 「地震」 functions as the cause and modifies 「被害」, showing where the damage came from. This is a typical headline-style structure found in news reporting. - Example: 彼の成功は、長年の努力による結果だ。
Translation: His success is the result of many years of effort.
Here, 「努力」 functions as the method or basis modifying 「結果」, emphasizing that the success was not simply by chance but had a clear source. - Example: インターネットによる情報収集が一般的になった。
Translation: Gathering information via the internet has become common.
Here, 「インターネット」 functions as the method or tool modifying 「情報収集」, showing the channel through which the information is gathered. This function of marking a “means” also overlaps in some respects with the written-register role of the case particle 「より」.
Usage ② of 「による」｜Modifying a noun to express the agent
In this usage, the “person or organization carrying out an action” appears before 「による」 and modifies a noun with an action-like meaning. It explains “who did this” and is common in formal event notices and reports.
- Example: 校長先生による特別講義が行われた。
Translation: A special lecture given by the principal was held.
Here, 「校長先生」 is the agent modifying 「特別講義」 and tells us who delivered the lecture. - Example: AIによる自動翻訳の精度が年々向上している。
Translation: The accuracy of AI-based automatic translation is improving year by year.
Here, 「AI」 is treated as the agent performing the act of translation and modifies 「自動翻訳」, emphasizing what is carrying out the process. - Example: 専門家による分析では、来年の景気は回復するとされている。
Translation: According to analysis by experts, the economy is expected to recover next year.
Here, 「専門家」 functions as the agent modifying 「分析」, identifying the source of the analysis and making the statement appear more authoritative.
What is the difference between Japanese 「による」, 「によって」, and 「により」?
These three forms are almost identical in meaning and can all be translated as “because of…” or “by…,” but their grammatical positions are completely different. One is used before a noun, while the other two are used before verbs or the remainder of a sentence. This dividing line is one of the easiest points for beginners to get wrong.
| Comparison | による | によって | により |
| Position | noun＋による＋noun (attributive modification) | noun＋によって, followed by a clause or verb | noun＋により, followed by a clause (more formal and written) |
| Common contexts | News headlines, report titles, headline-style expressions | General statements, passive sentences | Formal documents, notices, legal provisions |
| Common mistake | ❌ Using it in the middle of a sentence before a verb | ❌ Using it in the position that modifies a noun | ❌ Using it in casual conversation |
| Correct example | ✅ 地震による被害 | ✅ 地震によって、多くの建物が壊れた | ✅ 台風により、電車が運休した |
▌The core difference between 「による」 and 「によって」
❌ Incorrect: 地震による、多くの建物が壊れた。(Here, 「による」 is followed directly by a comma and a full sentence, but the function of 「による」 is to modify the noun immediately after it. It cannot be followed by a complete sentence in the same way as 「によって」, so its position here is incorrect.)
✅ Correct: 地震によって、多くの建物が壊れた。(「によって」 is used within the sentence and is followed by a complete clause. Its function complements that of 「による」, and the two cannot be used interchangeably.)
「による」 can only appear directly before a noun, forming the modifying structure 「A による B」. 「によって」, by contrast, appears in the middle of a sentence and is followed by a complete statement containing a verb or adjective. This “cause + result” relationship is somewhat similar to causal expressions using から／ので, but even when the meanings are similar, their grammatical positions are completely different. This boundary is what most often causes confusion in writing.
▌The difference between 「による」 and 「により」
❌ Overthinking it: Assuming that 「により」 and 「による」 can be freely interchanged when modifying a noun.
✅ Correct understanding: 「により」 has the same function as 「によって」. Both are used in the middle of a sentence before a verb or full statement, but 「により」 has a stronger written and formal tone and is common in official notices and legal provisions, as in 「台風により、電車が運休した」. If you want to modify a noun, you still need 「による」, as in 「台風による運休」.
Of the three forms, 「による」 is the only one that can directly modify a noun. 「によって」 and 「により」 are used to connect clauses, with 「により」 being more formal and more strongly associated with written language than 「によって」.
「による」 in Japanese news and reports: a fixed written-language pattern
Japanese news headlines, academic paper titles, and company report titles often use the compact noun-modifying structure 「による」 to place the “cause” or “agent” directly inside the title, allowing readers to identify the source of the information at a glance. Compared with a full sentence, this form is more compact and forceful, and it is also an example of how Japanese written language often favors concision and high information density.
▌Situation ①｜An editorial team discusses how to phrase a news headline
A：この記事のタイトル、「台風による交通機関の乱れ」でどうかな。
このきじのタイトル、「たいふうによるこうつうきかんのみだれ」でどうかな。
How about using “Disruption to Transportation Caused by the Typhoon” as the title of this article?
B：いいと思います。原因がすぐわかりますね。
いいとおもいます。げんいんがすぐわかりますね。
I think it works. You can tell the cause right away.
📌 Grammar Point: In 「台風による交通機関の乱れ」, 「による」 inserts the cause 「台風」 directly into the headline to modify 「交通機関の乱れ」. Compared with writing the full sentence 「台風によって交通機関が乱れた」, it is more concise and better suited to news headlines, where the main point needs to be understood immediately.
▌Situation ②｜Students discuss how to title a report
A：卒業論文のタイトルは「AIによる医療診断の可能性」にしようと思うんだ。
そつぎょうろんぶんのタイトルは、「AIによるいりょうしんだんのかのうせい」にしようとおもうんだ。
I’m thinking of calling my graduation thesis “The Potential of AI-Based Medical Diagnosis.”
B：いいタイトルだね。何が主体なのかはっきりしてる。
いいタイトルだね。なにがしゅたいなのかはっきりしてる。
That’s a good title. It makes the agent very clear.
📌 Grammar Point: In 「AIによる医療診断」, 「による」 places 「AI」, the agent carrying out the action, inside the title to modify 「医療診断」. This immediately tells the reader that the paper is about “medical diagnosis performed by AI.” This type of headline-style noun modification is extremely common in academic paper titles.
Cultural Notes:
- Japanese official statistical reports and weather-related notices often use fixed patterns such as 「〜による被害」 and 「〜による影響」, allowing readers to identify the cause of a disaster or event quickly from the title. This reflects a written-language culture that prioritizes information efficiency.
- 「による」 appears frequently in news headlines because Japanese headlines tend to favor concise noun phrases rather than complete sentences. This differs noticeably from Chinese news headlines, which often use full verbal clauses.
- Academic paper titles generally prefer 「による」 over 「によって」 because paper titles themselves are typically noun phrases. This also makes 「による」 a highly recognizable fixed pattern in academic writing.
How does Japanese 「による」 compare with Korean 「에 의한」?
Korean 「에 의한」 is the noun-modifying form of 「에 의해」 and likewise directly modifies the noun that follows. Its function corresponds almost exactly to 「による」, and even the distinction between “attributive modification vs. clause-level connection” is highly similar in the two languages.
- Example: 담배에 의한 사망자가 매년 증가하고 있다.
Romanization: dam-bae-e ui-han sa-mang-ja-ga mae-nyeon jeung-ga-ha-go it-da.
Translation: The number of deaths caused by smoking is increasing every year.
The structure of this sentence is almost identical to the noun-modifying use of 「による」. 「담배（cigarettes）」 functions as the cause and modifies 「사망자（deaths）」. - Example: 오해에 의한 싸움이 자주 발생한다.
Romanization: o-hae-e ui-han ssa-um-i ja-ju bal-saeng-han-da.
Translation: Fights caused by misunderstandings occur frequently.
This “cause＋에 의한＋noun” structure corresponds directly to the noun-modifying logic of Japanese 「による」. In both languages, the cause is inserted directly into a noun phrase.
◆ Core difference from 「による」:
Like Japanese, Korean uses 「에 의해」 rather than 「에 의한」 when connecting to a verb within a sentence, as in 「오해에 의해 싸움이 발생했다」. This rule—using an attributive form when modifying a noun and another form when connecting to a sentence—closely parallels the distinction between 「による／によって」. The two languages show a very high degree of structural similarity at this grammar point.
Once you understand 「による」, you will see that the real difficulty is not its Chinese meaning but its fixed position within the sentence. As long as you hold firmly to the rule that “a noun must come directly after it,” you are much less likely to become confused when you encounter 「によって」 and 「により」.
FAQs
「による」 means “caused by…” or “resulting from…” and directly modifies the noun that follows. It explains the cause, method, or agent behind a result or phenomenon and is common in news headlines and formal documents.
They have the same basic meaning but occur in different grammatical positions. 「による」 appears directly before a noun and forms a modifying structure, while 「によって」 appears in the middle of a sentence and is followed by a verb or complete statement. They cannot be used interchangeably.
「により」 has the same function as 「によって」 and is used within a sentence before a verb, but it has a more formal and written tone. If you need to modify a noun, you still have to use 「による」. It is the only one of the three that can appear directly before a noun.
The most common mistake is using it in the middle of a sentence before a complete statement, as in 「地震による、多くの建物が壊れた」. In this context, 「によって」 should be used instead. 「による」 is only appropriate directly before a noun in a modifying structure.
Besides news headlines, 「による」 is also common in academic paper titles, company report titles, and official statistical notices. It is especially useful whenever a cause or agent needs to be packed concisely into a noun phrase.