connective N3 common politewritten
によれば — according to ~
によれば
Meaning
- according to ~ — cites the source of the information that follows
Key sentence
天気予報によれば、明日は雨だ。
According to the forecast, it'll rain tomorrow.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (source) + によれば | N によれば | 新聞によれば (according to the newspaper) |
Examples
専門家によれば、地震の心配はないそうだ。
According to experts, there's no concern about an earthquake.
噂によれば、彼は転職するらしい。
According to rumour, he's apparently changing jobs.
When you can't use it
- Because you're relaying second-hand information, it usually pairs with a hearsay ending — 〜そうだ, 〜らしい, 〜とのことだ, 〜という.
Easily confused with
Notes
- It's the ば-conditional base of 〜による, and is functionally interchangeable with によると.
See によれば in real sentences
Jengo shows によれば 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 Advanced Japanese Grammar.