Means & Methods in Japanese || How to Use によって

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Home B2 Expressing means & methods with によって

HOW TO USE によって

によって in Japanese is commonly used to indicate the method, means, or reason behind an action or situation. It is a highly formal expression.

Let’s look at how to use によって in Japanese sentences.

MEANS OR METHODS FOR ACTION

によって (niyotte) is similar to English words like “by”, “by means of”, or “through”.

によって is like a bridge connecting the action and its source. Here are various sentence examples.

PATTERN

Noun + によって

この結論は膨大なデータによって裏付けられています。	This conclusion is backed up by lots of data.
高橋さんの活躍によってうちの部署が会社の野球大会で優勝しました。	My department won the championship in company’s baseball tournament by means of Mr. Takahashi’s fine play.

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事故によって電車が遅れました。	Jiko ni yotte densha ga okure mashita.	The train was delayed due to the accident.
国の大きな問題は政治家の努力によって解決されます。	Kuni no ookina mondai wa seijika no doryoku ni yotte kaiketsu saremasu.	Country’s big issues are solved by the efforts of politicians.
たくさん勉強することによってテストの点数が良くなりました。	Takusan benkyou suru koto ni yotte tesuto no tensuu ga yoku narimashita.	My exam’s score became good by studying very hard.
交通法規を守ることによって警察に協力できます。	Koutsuu houki wo Mamoru koto ni yotte keisatsu ni kyouryoku dekimasu.	We can cooperate with police by following traffic rules.

You can also use で in a lot of cases.

によって and で are interchangeable, but please keep in mind that によって has higher formality.

Let’s see the same sentence examples, but this time we use で.

この結論は膨大なデータで裏付けられています。	This conclusion is backed up by lots of data.
高橋さんの活躍でうちの部署が会社の野球大会で優勝しました。	My department won the championship in company’s baseball tournament by means of Mr. Takahashi’s fine play.

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事故で電車が遅れました。	The train was delayed due to the accident.
国の大きな問題は政治家の努力で解決されます。	Country’s big issues are solved by the efforts of politicians.
たくさん勉強することでテストの点数が良くなりました。	My exam’s score became good by studying very hard.
交通法規を守ることで警察に協力できます。	We can cooperate with police by following traffic rules.

SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS

There are other similar expressions to indicate means or reasons.

For example, we have ~を通じて (wo tsūjite), which indicates means of communication.

Means can be media, people, and actions such as interpretation and demonstration.

PATTERN

Noun + を通じて

高橋さんを通じて山本さんと友だちになりました。	I became friend with Mr. Yamamoto through Mr. Takahashi.
通訳を通じて会話しました。	We had a conversation through interpretation.
テレビを通じて石川県の地震について知りました。	I came to know about the earthquake in Ishikawa through TV news.

~につき (nitsuki) also indicates means and reasons, but it is slightly different from によって.

につき is always used in written notifications when you make requests, commands, and declaration.

PATTERN

Noun + につき

台風接近につきお店はお休みです。	The shop will remain closed because typhoon is coming soon.
事故多発につき、注意してください。	Please be careful due to many accidents happening here.
制限エリアにつき立ち入り禁止。	Entrance is prohibited because this is a restricted area.

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FAQs

What is the difference between によって and で when describing a cause or means?

While both によって and で can indicate a cause or means, によって is often more formal and used to emphasize an agent or method, especially in passive sentences, whereas で is generally more casual and used in everyday situations.

Can によって be used to show passive actions done by people or by things like tools or methods?

Yes, によって can indicate actions done by people, organizations, or objects.

It is common in passive sentences to show the person or thing responsible for an action, such as “発見されました (was discovered by).”

Can によって be used to show variations or differences?

Yes, によって can also be used to indicate variations or differences, as in “人によって考え方が違います” (People think differently depending on the person).

Can I study Japanese in Japan with LTL?

Absolutely! We offer group and individual classes in Tokyo.

If you’d prefer to learn Japanese from the comfort of your home, you should have a look at our online lessons on Flexi Classes (we even have a 7 day free trial!)

Where can I learn more Japanese grammar?

We regularly update our Japanese Grammar Bank with more free lessons like this one.