How to Express Conditions: によって, 次第で, に応じて, を問わず, にかかわらず, なしで, and なしに

Last time, you learned how to express various means and standards, e.g. “電でん気きによって車くるまを動うごかしています (I’m moving a car by using electricity),” and “規き制せいに沿そって車くるまを輸ゆ出しゅつしました (I exported a car following the regulations).” The compound particles, which are によって and に沿そって, have a single particle counterpart, で . In this lesson, you will learn some compound particles which don’t correspond to any single particles.

How to Express Conditions by Using Compound Particles

First of all, let us clarify the difference between “conditions” and “conditionals.” We already explained in the previous lesson that conditionals indicate conditions by using main clauses and subordinate clauses, e.g. “if X is true, then Y is true.” By contrast, compound particles for conditions don’t create subordinate clauses, e.g. “X is true depending on Y.” Therefore, although both of them indicate conditions, the structure of sentences is different. Now, let’s check how it works with three types of conditions.

Change Depending on Various Conditions

English has a very powerful word to express conditions. That is “to depend.” However, in Japanese, we categorize conditions into three groups and need to use different compound particles depending on it.

次し第だいで: The SUBJECT Will Change Depending on Conditions

次第で shows us how the subject will change depending on conditions.

次第 is a noun and hence you can use it as a predicate in the state-of-being style.

に応おうじて: Someone Will Change the OBJECT Depending on Conditions

に応じて shows how we change the object depending on conditions. Here, English translation doesn’t work well, but they may be close to “depending on,” “according to,” and “as.”

によって: There Are Various Outcomes Depending on Conditions

によって expresses “variety” or “diversity” like “there are various outcomes depending on conditions.” Here, English translation also doesn’t work simply.

によって has a wide usage and can express the same thing as 次第で and 応じて. Therefore, によって is most commonly used to express conditions.

The origin of によって is the verb: “よる: to depend.” Therefore, you can reword the examples above like this;

No Change Regardless of Various Conditions

Here, you will learn the opposite concept to the above one, which is no change regardless of various conditions. The function is simpler. You can just consider it as the counterpart to “regardless of” in English.

を問とわず and にかかわらず: Regardless of

を問わず and にかかわらず have the same meaning and are the counterpart to “regardless of” in English.

を問わず and にかかわらず are not so common in conversation. We more often use …ても since it can express the similar meaning. Note: you cannot always reword them. Here, two of the examples are applicable.

Regarding the difference between the two, 問わず can be used with the following three groups while にかかわらず can be used with only the second and the third groups.

1. Nouns which have two aspects, e.g. “男女だんじょ: man and woman” and “大小だいしょう: bigness and smallness.”

ラグビーは男女だんじょ を問とわず・にかかわらず （できる / できます）。

Rugby can be played regardless of [whether you are] male or female.

2. Nouns which have some degrees, e.g. “年齢ねんれい: age,” “性別せいべつ: gender,” and “経験けいけん: experience.”

天候てんこう を問とわず・にかかわらず 試し合あいは行おこなわれ（る / ます）。

The game will be held regardless of the weather.

3. Nouns listed with their antonyms, e.g. “公立こうりつ私し立りつ: public and private” and “成功せいこう失敗しっぱい success and failure.” 

成功せいこう失敗しっぱい を問とわず・にかかわらず 挑ちょう戦せんは素す晴ばらしい（です）。

Challenges are wonderful regardless of [whether they are] successes or failures.

*Note: the difference between No.1 and No.3 is that 男女だんじょ is one word while 公立こうりつ私し立りつ are two words which are listed in a row.

Only にかかわらず can be used with adjectives and verbs if you list it with its antonym or negation. This is equivalent to “regardless of whether…”

Be careful. You may sometimes see this phrase: にもかかわらず. However, this is different from にかかわらず, meaning “however” or “despite” like けれども and のに and referring to just one specific condition.

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Negative Conditions

The concept of negative conditions is similar to the conditionals that we looked at in the compound sentence section, and we will again use the terms “actual conditions” and “hypothetical conditions.” Depending on whether the conditions are actual or hypothetical, you need to use different phrases.

なしで and をぬきにして: Actual Conditions

When conditions are actual, you use なしで or をぬきにして. They have the same meaning as “without” in English, but ぬきにして sounds more formal than なしで. You can reword this by using negative sequential actions: Verb + ないで. For the sake of better understanding, we’ve provided examples of both:

The focus particle は often appears in this context. That is to say, は is often placed before なしで and can replaces を of をぬきにして.

なしに and なくして: Hypothetical Conditions

When conditions are hypothetical ones, you use なしに or なくして. なくして sounds more formal than なしに. You could reword these sentences by using the conditional ば-form which also indicates hypothetical conditions.

Summary

1. 次第で expresses “The SUBJECT will change depending on conditions.”
2. に応じて expresses “Someone will change the OBJECT depending on conditions.”
3. によって expresses “There are various OUTCOMEs depending on conditions.”
4. によって is interchangeable with both 次第で and に応じて.
5. を問わず and にかかわらず are counterparts to “regardless of.”
6. なしで and をぬきにして both express “without”, when based on actual conditions.
7. なしに and なくして both express “without”, when based on hypothetical conditions.

Congratulations! You have completed the compound particle section. As you learned, compound particles basically consist of a particle and the te-form of verbs, and there are some cases where they work like relative clauses. The variety of the usages may make them difficult to understand. Thus, we have made a table here showing all of the cases. Please check it as needed.

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