GrammarJLPT N5
→ due to
By means of / Due to / Depending on
JLPT N5Compound particleFormal
The grammar point 〜による (and its conjugated forms 〜によって, 〜により) is a versatile compound particle built from the particle に and the verb よる. It primarily expresses three core functions: indicating the means or agent by which something is done, indicating a cause or reason for something, and indicating that something varies depending on a certain factor. Because 〜による is the attributive (noun-modifying) form, it appears directly before nouns, while 〜によって is the conjunctive (te-form) used mid-sentence before verbs or clauses. This grammar point belongs to a formal register and is commonly found in news reports, academic writing, and formal speech. It overlaps somewhat with the particle で, which also marks means and cause, but 〜による / 〜によって sounds more formal and is preferred in written contexts. It should not be confused with 〜によると / 〜によれば, which specifically mean 'according to' and introduce a source of information rather than a cause or means.
Functions
#1 Expressing means or agent
Structure
Noun + による / によって + …
この本は有名な先生によって書かれました。
Here によって marks the agent (the famous teacher) who performed the action in a passive sentence. In Japanese passive constructions, によって is used instead of the simple particle に when emphasizing who carried out the action, particularly in formal or written contexts. This usage is very common in news articles and academic writing when describing who created, discovered, or performed something.This book was written by a famous teacher.
Structures
- Noun-modifying (before a noun)
- Noun + による + Noun
- Mid-sentence (before a verb/clause)
- Noun + によって + Verb / Clause
- Formal written variant
- Noun + により + Verb / Clause
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing による (noun-modifying form) with によって (mid-sentence conjunctive form). Learners often write sentences like 「雨による電車が止まった」 when they should use によって before the verb: 「雨によって電車が止まった」. Conversely, when modifying a noun, による must be used, not によって: 「雨による遅れ」 is correct, not 「雨によって遅れ」. Another frequent error is mixing up によって (means/cause) with によると (according to); these have distinct meanings and are not interchangeable. Finally, some learners overuse によって in casual conversation where the simpler particle で would sound more natural, since 〜による and its forms belong primarily to formal or written Japanese.
Related
〜によって〜により〜によると〜によれば〜で (means/cause)〜のおかげで