connective N2 uncommon politewritten
〜次第で — depending on ~ (the outcome varies)
〜次第で ・ しだいで
Builds on 〜次第
Meaning
- depending on ~ / according to ~ — the result that follows changes with this one factor
次第 + で turns 'depends on X' into an adverbial 'depending on X, the rest varies'. Where 次第だ ends a sentence ('it's up to X'), 次第で sits before a clause whose outcome shifts with X: 考え方次第で、人生は変わる ('depending on how you think, your life changes'). The emphatic 次第では(は) means 'depending on the case, (it might even ~)', flagging one possible branch.
Key sentence
やり方次第で、結果は大きく変わる。
Depending on how you go about it, the result changes dramatically.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + 次第で (emphatic: 次第では) | N + 次第で / 次第では | 天気次第で / 場合次第では |
When: Formal/written; the following clause states a result or possibility that hinges on the named factor.
Examples
君の態度次第で、こちらの対応も変わる。
Depending on your attitude, our response will change too.
話し合いの結果次第では、計画を中止することもある。
Depending on the outcome of the talks, we may even call off the plan.
値段次第で、買うかどうか決める。
Depending on the price, I'll decide whether to buy it.
Easily confused with
〜次第（だ） 次第だ is the predicate 'it depends entirely on X' (ending a sentence); 次第で is the adverbial 'depending on X, the result varies' that leads into a clause. によって によって in its 'varies-by' sense (人によって違う) is the neutral 'differs depending on'; 次第で stresses that the *outcome hinges on* the factor and may swing either way.
Notes
- 次第では (with は) singles out one branch — 'depending on the circumstances, it could even ~' — often pairing with こともある / かもしれない.
See 〜次第で in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜次第で 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.