次第だ / 次第で|しだいだ / しだいで
- 1As a sentence-final predicate, states that something depends on N.Ex. 1
- 2With a topic such as 〜かどうかは, it identifies N as the factor the outcome hinges on.Ex. 2
- 3As 次第で, it links to a following clause meaning "depending on N, (the result) changes."
Topic: the thing that depends is often marked with は, including 〜かどうかは (e.g. 充実するかどうかは、本人の気持ち次第だ)
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A common, neutral expression used in both conversation and writing, often in advice, business discussions, and statements about outcomes. It presents N as the key factor an outcome turns on. It is less stiff than いかん-based expressions and more concise than にかかっている.
Do not confuse noun + 次第 "depends on" with verb ます-stem + 次第 "as soon as," which is a different pattern.
Note that 次第で must be followed by a clause describing the varying result; it cannot end a sentence on its own.
- 次第N2「次第」 also has this pattern's "depends on" meaning (including the form 「次第では」), and in that sense the two are interchangeable. It can also attach to a verb's ます-stem or to action nouns like 「到着」 to mean "as soon as ~," a usage common in formal settings such as business notices.
- にかかっているN1「にかかっている」 also means "depends on," and the two are largely interchangeable at the end of a sentence, though 「に」 must follow a noun. It carries a stronger sense that success or failure hinges on something, typically takes subjects like success, failure, or one's future, and appears often in commentary, speeches, and the news.
- いかんでは / いかんによってはN1「いかんでは / いかんによっては」 sounds stiff and formal, appearing mainly in official documents and notices. It attaches only to nouns (optionally with 「の」), and the following clause usually gives a specific, often unfavorable possible outcome such as 「…こともある」, so its meaning is close to 「次第では」.
- 〜次第ではN2「次第では」 is 「次第で」 plus 「は」 and cannot end a sentence. It highlights the special—usually unfavorable—results that may arise under certain conditions, often pairing with 「こともある」 or 「かもしれない」, and is used mostly for reminders or warnings in a fairly formal tone.
- いかんによらずN1「いかんによらず」 means the exact opposite: the result stays the same no matter what the first clause is, whereas 「次第」 says the result depends on it, so the two cannot be swapped. 「いかんによらず」 usually follows a noun plus 「の」 and has a stiff, written-language register.
次第 after a verb ます-stem means "as soon as," while 〜次第では highlights one particular possible outcome; にかかっている expresses a similar dependency with a full verb phrase. いかんでは/いかんによっては is a more formal written equivalent of 次第では, and いかんによらず means the opposite: "regardless of."
