How to Say 'It Depends on the Person' in Japanese: 人によります, 場合によります, 人によって違います
Learn three natural Japanese phrases for saying something depends on the person or situation, and distinguish them from 人それぞれ and from someone deciding.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When you want to say that something varies from person to person or depends on the situation, Japanese offers several set phrases. The most common is 人によります (hito ni yorimasu), which literally means 'it depends on the person.' A close relative is 場合によります (baai ni yorimasu), 'it depends on the case.' For describing differences rather than dependency, use 人によって違います (hito ni yotte chigaimasu), 'it differs depending on the person.' This lesson teaches these three patterns at elementary level, shows how they differ from 人それぞれ (hito sorezore, 'each person is different') and from a person deciding something, and gives you ready-to-use questions for staff. You will practice asking about preferences without stereotypes and learn to avoid common errors.
By the end, you can…
- say that something depends on the person or situation using 人によります and 場合によります.
- describe variation between people with 人によって違います and distinguish it from 人それぞれ.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
人によります。
It depends on the person.
Hito ni yorimasu.
Use when a general answer is impossible because different people have different preferences or reactions. Polite form; casual is 人による (hito ni yoru).
場合によります。
It depends on the situation.
Baai ni yorimasu.
Use when the outcome changes according to circumstances, not people. For example, whether a shop is busy depends on the day.
人によって違います。
It differs depending on the person.
Hito ni yotte chigaimasu.
Use to state that there is variation among people. It focuses on difference, not on dependency. Casual: 人によって違う (hito ni yotte chigau).
人それぞれです。
Each person is different. / To each their own.
Hito sorezore desu.
Use to accept that people have different tastes or ways. It does not mean 'it depends'; it means people are simply different. Often used to avoid judging.
何が好きですか。
What do you like?
Nani ga suki desu ka.
A neutral preference question. Avoid asking 'Why do you like that?' as it can sound pushy. Use with friends or when chatting casually.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is Noun + によります (ni yorimasu) to mean 'depends on ~.' For example, 人によります (hito ni yorimasu) = depends on the person; 場合によります (baai ni yorimasu) = depends on the case; 天気によります (tenki ni yorimasu) = depends on the weather. To talk about variation, use Noun + によって違います (ni yotte chigaimasu): 人によって違います (hito ni yotte chigaimasu) = differs depending on the person; 国によって違います (kuni ni yotte chigaimasu) = differs depending on the country. Note that によって違います implies a comparison, while によります implies a condition. Both are polite and safe in service encounters. Do not confuse with 次第 (shidai), which is more formal and advanced; stick to these patterns for now.
When to use it
Use 人によります when someone asks you a general question like 'Is natto popular?' and you want to say it varies by individual. Use 場合によります when the answer depends on time, place, or situation, such as 'Do you need a reservation?' — 場合によります (baai ni yorimasu). Use 人によって違います when you want to highlight differences: 'Preferences for drinks differ by person' — 飲み物の好みは人によって違います (nomimono no konomi wa hito ni yotte chigaimasu). Use 人それぞれです to say 'everyone has their own taste' and avoid making a judgment. Do not use 人によります to mean 'a person decides.' For 'That person decides,' say その人が決めます (sono hito ga kimemasu).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この店はいつも混んでいますか。
Excuse me, is this shop always crowded?Sumimasen, kono mise wa itsumo konde imasu ka.場合によりますね。週末は混んでいますが、平日は空いています。
It depends on the situation. It is crowded on weekends, but less busy on weekdays.Baai ni yorimasu ne. Shūmatsu wa konde imasu ga, heijitsu wa suite imasu.そうですか。この料理は辛いですか。
I see. Is this dish spicy?Sō desu ka. Kono ryōri wa karai desu ka.人によります。辛いのが好きな人もいれば、苦手な人もいます。
It depends on the person. Some people like spicy food, and some don't.Hito ni yorimasu. Karai no ga suki na hito mo ireba, nigate na hito mo imasu.A little context goes a long way
人によります is useful when preferences or reactions vary from person to person. 場合によります instead points to circumstances. These phrases can sound thoughtful, but a short explanation is often more helpful than leaving the answer vague. For example, after saying it depends on the situation, explain which days the shop is busy.
One thing to watch for
Using 人によります to mean 'a person decides.' For example, saying 人によります when you mean 'That person will decide.'
Try this instead: Use その人が決めます (sono hito ga kimemasu) for 'that person decides.' 人によります means 'it depends on the person,' not 'the person decides.' Similarly, 人によって違います means 'it differs depending on the person,' not 'the person differs.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Your friend asks whether people generally like natto. You want to say that it depends on the person. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
人によります。
人によります (hito ni yorimasu) means 'it depends on the person.' It is the standard polite phrase for this situation. You could also say 人それぞれです (hito sorezore desu) to mean 'each person is different,' but that focuses on variation rather than dependency.
2You want to say that whether a store is open depends on the day. Which phrase fits best?
Show a sample answer
場合によります。
場合によります (baai ni yorimasu) means 'it depends on the situation' and is used when the condition is not a person but a circumstance like the day. 人によります would be wrong because it refers to people.
3How do you say 'Preferences differ depending on the person' using によって?
Show a sample answer
好みは人によって違います。
好みは人によって違います (konomi wa hito ni yotte chigaimasu) means 'preferences differ depending on the person.' The pattern Noun + によって違います expresses variation. You could also say 人によって好みが違います (hito ni yotte konomi ga chigaimasu) with a slight change in focus.
Use 人によります for 'depends on the person,' 場合によります for 'depends on the situation,' and 人によって違います for 'differs depending on the person.' Remember 人それぞれです means 'each person is different,' and never use 人によります to mean 'a person decides.'
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