〜次第 (しだい): 'As Soon As' / 'Depending On'
Read the word in front — it tells you the meaning
次第 (しだい) looks like one grammar point but behaves like two, and what sits in front of it decides which. A verb ます-stem (届き, 決まり, 着き) makes it "as soon as." A plain noun (努力, 天気, あなた) makes it "depends on / depending on." Both belong to formal register — written notices, business email, announcements — so you meet 次第 far more in inboxes than in chat.
| What comes before | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb ます-stem + 次第 | as soon as | 終わり次第（おわりしだい） |
| Noun + 次第だ／です | depends on | 努力次第だ（どりょくしだいだ） |
| Noun + 次第で(は) | depending on | 天気次第で（てんきしだいで） |
資料が届き次第、お送りします。
しりょうが とどきしだい、おおくりします。
I'll send the materials as soon as they arrive.
ます-stem 届き + 次第 = as soon as. Result is future.
合格できるかどうかは、あなた次第です。
ごうかく できるかどうかは、あなたしだいです。
Whether you can pass depends on you.
noun + 次第だ = it's up to / depends on.
モチの気分次第で、行く店が変わる。
モチの きぶんしだいで、いく みせが かわる。
Which restaurant we go to changes depending on Mochi's mood.
noun + 次第で = depending on.
"As soon as": stem in front, future behind
The ます-stem sense is the one that shows up constantly in business Japanese. Attach 次第 to the verb stem — the part before ます, so 着き次第 (not 着く次第), 決まり次第 (not 決まる次第). And because it means "the instant Y happens, X will follow," the main clause has to point forward — a plan, a promise, or a request. You cannot use it to narrate something that already happened.
ヤッタンが駅に着き次第、電話します。
ヤッタンが えきに つきしだい、でんわします。
I'll call as soon as Yattan reaches the station.
日程が決まり次第、改めてご案内いたします。
にっていが きまりしだい、あらためて ごあんない いたします。
As soon as the schedule is set, I'll let you know again.
改めて + humble いたします — classic business email tone.
To talk about a past "as soon as," reach for 〜たら or 〜とすぐに instead: 着いたらすぐ電話した ("I called as soon as I arrived").
"Depends on" vs "depending on": だ ends it, で continues it
With a noun in front, 次第 says the result is governed by that noun — and the tail tells you where the sentence is going. Use 次第だ／です when it sits at the end as the predicate, and 次第で(は) when the clause carries on to describe what varies.
テストの結果は、毎日の勉強次第だ。
テストの けっかは、まいにちの べんきょうしだいだ。
The test result depends on your daily studying.
次第だ closes the sentence = it depends on.
先生の説明次第で、宿題の量が変わります。
せんせいの せつめいしだいで、しゅくだいの りょうが かわります。
The amount of homework changes depending on the teacher's explanation.
天気次第では、ピクニックは中止です。
てんきしだいでは、ピクニックは ちゅうしです。
Depending on the weather, the picnic may be canceled.
次第では adds 'in some cases' — a possible outcome.
The は in 次第では highlights one possible branch ("in some cases, depending on…"), so it pairs naturally with a result that might happen.
Where 次第 sits next to 〜によって
The noun-based 次第 overlaps with 〜によって ("depending on / according to"), and for plain "X varies with Y" they are often interchangeable. The difference is reach and tone: 次第 feels a touch more formal and is the natural choice for "it's up to you" (あなた次第), while によって is broader and also carries "by means of" and "according to." When the point is who or what decides the outcome, 次第 is the sharper word.
The traps that catch learners
- Using the "as soon as" sense with a past main clause. ます-stem + 次第 promises a future action: 着き次第連絡します (✓). For "I called as soon as I arrived," use 着いたらすぐ電話した (✗ 着き次第電話した).
- Attaching to the dictionary form. The "as soon as" sense needs the ます-stem: 終わり次第 (✓), not 終わる次第 (✗).
- Mixing the two senses by what's in front. ます-stem + 次第 = "as soon as"; noun + 次第 = "depends on." 努力次第 is "depends on effort," never "as soon as you effort."
- Dropping で in the "depending on" sense. To say "depending on X, Y varies," you need 次第で: 天気次第で変わる (✓), not 天気次第変わる (✗).
The short version
- Verb ます-stem + 次第 = as soon as; main clause must be future (formal, business).
- Noun + 次第だ = it depends on (predicate at sentence end).
- Noun + 次第で(は) = depending on, things vary; では flags a possible outcome.
- For a past "as soon as," use 〜たら / 〜とすぐに, not 次第.
Practice it
Pick the right use of 次第 / 次第だ / 次第で.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
仕事の成功はあなた方の努力＿＿＿です。
Frequently asked questions
Can I use 〜次第 about something that already happened?
No. The ます-stem + 次第 ('as soon as') sense points to a future action, so the main clause must be a plan, promise, or request: 届き次第送ります. For a past event use 〜たら or 〜とすぐに: 届いたらすぐ送った.
Does 次第 attach to the dictionary form or the ます-stem?
For the 'as soon as' meaning, use the ます-stem: 終わり次第, 決まり次第, 着き次第 — never the dictionary form 終わる次第.
What's the difference between 次第だ and 次第で?
次第だ ends the sentence ('it depends on X'): 結果は努力次第だ. 次第で continues the clause to say what varies ('depending on X, Y changes'): 天気次第で予定が変わる.
How is noun + 次第で different from 〜によって?
They overlap for 'depending on.' 次第 leans more formal and is the go-to for 'it's up to you' (あなた次第), while によって is broader and also covers 'by means of' and 'according to.'
Where 〜次第 fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Conditional 〜なら · N4 — 〜なら is the contextual 'if': it picks up a topic or premise — 日本に行くなら京都がいい. Learn the formation, how it differs from ば・たら・と, and why the main clause can come first.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜によって · N3 — 〜によって is a versatile N3 pattern: means/method, 'varies depending on,' formal cause, and the agent in passive sentences. Learn all four senses plus による and によっては.
More N3 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜てからでないと — 〜てからでないと / 〜てからでなければ means 'unless you first do X, you can't do Y.' Learn the formation, the required negative main clause, and how it builds on てから.
- もしかしたら — もしかしたら / もしかすると / もしかして flag a possibility at the start of a sentence, almost always paired with 〜かもしれない. Learn the nuance, the forms, and common mistakes.
- 〜ながら — Concessive 〜ながら(も) means 'although / even though / despite' — it links two clashing facts. Learn how it differs from the N5 'while doing' ながら, the attachment rules, and common pitfalls.
- 〜にしても — 〜にしても means 'even if' or 'even granting that' — a concession over a supposed case. Learn the formation, それにしても ('even so'), the 〜にしても〜にしても pairing, and how it differs from としても.
- ところが — ところが is a conjunction meaning 'however / but' that introduces a surprising, often unfortunate result contrary to what you expected. Learn the nuance and how it differs from でも and けど.
- 〜どころか — 〜どころか flips an expectation on its head: 'far from X, the opposite happened' or 'let alone X.' Learn both senses, how it attaches, and the common direction-of-contrast mistake.