4 · Further patterns
Depending on: 에 따라(서) and 에 따른
variation and conformity
에 따라(서) says what something varies with, or what an action follows; before a noun it becomes 에 따른.
에 따라 or 에 따라서 after a noun means “depending on” or “in accordance with”: 나라에 따라 인사하는 방법이 달라요, “the way people greet each other differs from country to country”. 따라 is the linking form of 따르다, “to follow”, so the phrase is literally “following the country”. Like every frozen verb form, it becomes a modifier before a noun: 나이에 따른 요금, “fees according to age”.
The pattern has two meanings, and the verb at the end usually shows which. With 다르다, 달라지다, 바뀌다 and 차이가 나다 it means “depending on”: something varies, and the noun before 에 따라 says with what. With a rule, an instruction or a plan it means “in accordance with”: 설명서에 따라 조립하세요, “assemble it according to the instructions”.
English “according to” has a third use that Korean does not cover with 에 따라: naming the source of a piece of information. “According to the forecast it will rain” is 일기 예보에 따르면 비가 온대요 — with the conditional 따르면, “if one follows”, and a reported ending such as -대요 at the end. Using 에 따라 here is a very common mistake with this pattern.
The pattern is at home in announcements, instructions, reports and explanations, but it is not stiff: in casual talk, too, “it depends on the person” is 사람에 따라 달라요.
The form
| depending on | 사람에 따라 달라요. |
| the fuller form | 사람에 따라서 달라요. |
| before a noun | 나이에 따른 요금 |
| in accordance with | 규칙에 따라 진행합니다. |
| source of information | 뉴스에 따르면 …대요. |
| in some cases | 경우에 따라서는 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
With a verb of variation (다르다, 달라지다, 바뀌다) it means “depending on”.
날씨에 따라서 계획이 바뀔 수도 있어요.The plan may change depending on the weather.
With a rule, an instruction or a plan it means “in accordance with”.
의사 선생님의 지시에 따라 약을 먹고 있어요.I am taking the medicine as the doctor told me.
Before a noun it becomes 에 따른.
시간대에 따른 교통 상황을 알려 드리겠습니다.Here is the traffic situation at different times of day.
To name a source (“according to the news”), use 에 따르면 and a reported ending.
뉴스에 따르면 내일 눈이 온대요.According to the news it will snow tomorrow.
A closer look
Following, in three shapes
The verb 따르다 is behind all three forms. 따라, the linking form, says that one thing follows another — it varies with it or obeys it. 따른, the modifier form, does the same before a noun. 따르면, the conditional, means “if one follows” and is the fixed way to cite a source: 조사에 따르면, “according to the survey”.
Written Korean adds a fourth: -(eu)m e ttara, “as …”, for one change that goes with another: 기술이 발전함에 따라 생활이 편리해졌다, “as technology developed, life became more convenient”. Here -(eu)m turns the verb into a noun so that 에 따라 can attach to it.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the noun is followed by 을/를 따라 instead of 에 따라
it means “along” or “after” in space: 강을 따라 걸었어요, “I walked along the river”.
바닷가를 따라 한참 걸었어요.We walked along the beach for a long time.
With the object particle, 따르다 keeps its literal sense of following a path or a person. Only with 에 does it become the grammatical “depending on”.
How to spot it
- 에 따라
- 에 따라서
- 에 따른
- 에 따르면
- 다르다
- 달라지다
Example sentences
나라에 따라 인사하는 방법이 달라요.The way people greet each other differs from country to country.
사람에 따라 생각이 다를 수 있어요.People can see it differently.
나이에 따라 입장료가 달라요.The admission fee depends on your age.
규칙에 따라 모든 방문객은 입구에서 이름을 써야 합니다.Under the rules, all visitors must write their name at the entrance.
설명서에 따라서 조립하면 어렵지 않아요.It is not difficult if you assemble it according to the instructions.
계절에 따른 변화를 사진으로 찍었어요.I photographed the changes from season to season.
8 more example sentences
지역에 따라 김치 맛이 조금씩 달라요.Kimchi tastes a little different from region to region.
상황에 따라서 말투를 바꿔야 해요.You have to change the way you speak depending on the situation.
그날 기분에 따라 듣는 음악이 달라져요.The music I listen to changes with my mood that day.
구입 수량에 따라 가격이 할인됩니다.The price is discounted according to the quantity bought.
경우에 따라서는 환불이 안 될 수도 있습니다.In some cases a refund may not be possible.
순서에 따라 한 명씩 들어오세요.Please come in one at a time, in order.
계획에 따라 공사는 다음 달에 시작됩니다.According to plan, construction starts next month.
성적에 따른 장학금이 있어요.There are scholarships based on grades.
Worth knowing (1)
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The short answer “it depends”
Asked a question with no single answer, a Korean speaker often says just 사람마다 달라요 or 경우에 따라 달라요 — there is no one-word “it depends”, so the thing it depends on is named.
"얼마나 걸려요?" "차가 얼마나 막히는지에 따라 달라요."“How long does it take?” “It depends on the traffic.”
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
When “according to” names where a piece of news comes from, Korean uses the conditional 에 따르면, “if one follows the forecast”, and normally reports the content with an ending such as -대요. 에 따라 would mean that the rain is obeying the forecast.
E ttara: it varies with, or it follows; for a source of news, e ttareumyeon.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.