particle N3 common politewritten
によって — by means of / by / depending on
によって
Meaning
① by means of: by means of ~ / through ~ — the method or process used to achieve something
② by (agent): by ~ — marks the doer in a formal passive sentence
③ depending on: depending on ~ / varying with ~ — the result differs according to the noun
Key sentence
① by means of
話し合いによって問題を解決した。
We solved the problem through discussion.
② by (agent)
この絵はピカソによって描かれた。
This painting was painted by Picasso.
③ depending on
国によって習慣が違う。
Customs differ from country to country.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + によって | 努力によって / 場合によって |
Examples
① by means of
投票によって代表を決めた。
We decided the representative by a vote.
② by (agent)
新しい制度が政府によって導入された。
A new system was introduced by the government.
③ depending on
人によって考え方はさまざまだ。
Ways of thinking vary depending on the person.
Easily confused with
による Same word; によって is the て-form that connects into a clause (means, passive agent, 'varies depending on'), while による is the noun-modifying / sentence-final form ('damage due to ~', 'it depends'). 〜られる (passive) In the 'by (agent)' sense, によって is the formal way to mark who performed the action in a passive sentence — preferred over に when the verb is a creation/production verb (描く, 建てる, 発見する).
See によって in real sentences
Jengo shows によって 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 Advanced Japanese Grammar.