〜に則って: 'In Accordance With' Rules, Laws, and Precedent
Acting according to an established standard
〜に則って says that an action or decision was carried out following a law, rule, standard, or tradition. English renders it as "in accordance with," "based on," or "following," but the Japanese always implies the noun before it is something official or fixed — not a personal opinion.
この問題は法律に則って解決されるべきだ。
このもんだいは ほうりつに のっとって かいけつされるべきだ。
This problem should be resolved in accordance with the law.
会社は規則に則って厳正に対処した。
かいしゃは きそくに のっとって げんせいに たいしょした。
The company dealt with it strictly, in accordance with the regulations.
やったんは伝統に則って、もちに新年の挨拶をした。
やったんは でんとうに のっとって、もちに しんねんの あいさつをした。
Following tradition, Yattan gave Mochi a New Year's greeting.
伝統 (tradition) is another common partner for に則って.
What it attaches to
に則って is invariant — it always follows a noun naming something codified: a law, rule, standard, custom, or basis.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (law) | 法律 + に則って | 法律に則って裁く |
| Noun (rule) | 規則 + に則って | 規則に則って行動する |
| Noun (standard) | 国際基準 + に則って | 国際基準に則って作成された |
| Noun (custom) | 伝統・慣例 + に則って | 慣例に則って進める |
この計画は国際基準に則って作成された。
このけいかくは こくさいきじゅんに のっとって さくせいされた。
This plan was drawn up in accordance with international standards.
に則って vs に従って: rules vs. anything you follow
Both mean roughly "in accordance with," but に従って is far broader — it can follow instructions, orders, a person's advice, or even describe a proportional change ("as X increases, so does Y"). に則って is narrower and stiffer: it only fits laws, rules, official standards, or long-established precedent.
モチは先生の指示に従って書類を作成したが、やったんは規則に則って中身を確認した。
モチは せんせいの しじに したがって しょるいを さくせいしたが、やったんは きそくに のっとって なかみを かくにんした。
Mochi drafted the document following the teacher's instructions, while Yattan checked its contents in accordance with the regulations.
指示に従って (any instruction) vs 規則に則って (an official standard).
The short version
- 〜に則って = "in accordance with / based on / following."
- Attaches to: a noun naming a law, rule, standard, or established precedent.
- Nuance/register: formal, written; implies conformity to something official or codified.
- Don't confuse with: に従って, which can follow any instruction, order, or advice — and also describes proportional change.
Practice it
Choose に則って when the sentence is about following a law, rule, or standard.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
この問題は法律＿＿＿解決されるべきだ。
Where 〜に則って fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜に先駆けて — 〜に先駆けて means 'ahead of others' or 'as a pioneer' — a formal N1 expression for being the first to do something before competitors or peers, common in business and tech news.
- 〜に堪える — 〜に堪える means something is good or strong enough to 'withstand' an action — worth watching, worthy of trust. Its negative, 〜に堪えない, is far more common and means the opposite: too poor or painful to bear.
- 〜に足る — 〜に足る attaches to a noun or the dictionary form of a verb and means 'enough to,' 'worthy of,' or 'sufficient for' — the thing clears the bar a specific purpose requires. It's close to に値する but leans on adequacy rather than abstract worth.
- 〜によらず — によらず is a formal expression meaning 'regardless of / irrespective of' (年齢によらず参加できる). It attaches to a noun to state that a rule or possibility holds no matter what that factor is, often in official announcements.
- 〜の至り — 〜の至り attaches to an emotion noun to mean 'the utmost' or 'the height of' — 光栄の至り (the height of honor). It's a formal, often humble expression for feeling something at its most extreme, typically joy, honor, or shame.
- 〜の極み — 〜の極み attaches to a noun to mean 'the height of' or 'the extreme of' — 贅沢の極み (the height of luxury). Like 〜の至り, it marks a state at its absolute peak, but it leans toward describing situations and conditions, often negative ones.