connective N2 common politewritten
に従って — in accordance with
に従って ・ にしたがって
Meaning
- in accordance with ~ / following ~; also 'as ~ (proceeds)' — act per a rule or instruction, or change in step with another change
Key sentence
矢印に従って進んでください。
Please proceed in accordance with the arrows.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (rule / instruction / change) | N + に従って / に従い (formal) | 指示に従って |
| Verb (plain) — 'as ~ proceeds' sense | Vる + に従って | 年を取るに従って |
When: Formal; に従い is the stiffer written variant. The 'as ~' (proportional change) sense overlaps につれて.
Examples
規則に従って行動する。
Act in accordance with the rules.
山を登るに従って、空気が薄くなった。
As we climbed the mountain, the air grew thinner.
When you can't use it
- Two uses: (1) follow or obey a rule, instruction, or order; (2) one thing changing in step with another's progress. Note the homograph 従って ('therefore'), which opens a sentence.
Easily confused with
〜につれて For the proportional-change sense both work. につれて is purely 'as X progresses, Y changes' (gradual, no will); に従って can do that AND mean 'in obedience to' a rule — a sense につれて lacks. 〜に応じて に応じて = flexibly vary to MATCH conditions ('according to the situation'); に従って = obey or follow a fixed rule, or move in step with a change.
See に従って in real sentences
Jengo shows に従って the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.