depend

depend — 動詞

1. if one thing depends on another, the first thing is decided by or changes accord

1.動詞不及物A2
釋義

取決於

結果因某條件而改變

if one thing depends on another, the first thing is decided by or changes according to what the second thing does or is like — so different conditions produce different results.

例句

Whether Rodrigo goes to the beach on Saturday depends on the weather forecast.

Rodrigo 週六能否去海灘，取決於天氣預報。

depend on + noun phrase: result varies by condition

The price of a train ticket depends largely on how far in advance you book.

火車票的價格很大程度上取決於你提前多久訂票。

collocation: depend largely on

同義詞
  • hinge on

    more emphatic and dramatic — suggests the whole outcome rests on a single factor

  • be determined by

    more formal and less conditional-sounding; focuses on causation rather than variability

  • rest on

    slightly more formal; implies the factor is a foundation

文法句型

depend + on/upon + noun phrase

depend + on/upon + wh-clause

用法筆記

Frequently used with adverbs like 'largely', 'heavily', 'entirely', 'partly' between the verb and 'on'. Formal writing may use 'depend upon' instead of 'depend on'. This sense does NOT take a continuous form ('❌ is depending') in most contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The price depends of the quality.
✅The price depends on the quality.
💡'depend' is always followed by 'on' or 'upon', never 'of' — a direct calque from several European languages.

2. used when you cannot give a definite answer because the answer changes according

2.動詞不及物A2
釋義

看情況

答案因條件而異

used when you cannot give a definite answer because the answer changes according to different factors or conditions — you are saying the answer is not fixed because circumstances matter.

例句

'Are you coming to the party tonight?' 'It depends — I have to finish my homework first.'

「你今晚要來派對嗎？」「看情況——我得先做完功課。」

standalone 'it depends' as a response to a yes/no question

When you ask Caleb whether he likes spicy food, he always says it depends on the dish.

如果你問 Caleb 喜不喜歡辣的食物，他總是說要看是什麼菜。

同義詞
  • be uncertain

    less natural in conversation; more direct and less polite

  • be up in the air

    informal idiom meaning 'not yet decided'; less about conditional factors

文法句型

it depends

it depends on + noun phrase

it depends + wh-clause

用法筆記

'It depends' and 'That depends' are fixed phrases used as short answers. Speakers often follow them with an explanation of what the deciding factor is. 'It depends on [factor]' is also very common. Note: this expression uses the simple present tense even when talking about future events.

常見錯誤

❌It's depending on the weather.
✅It depends on the weather.
💡'depend' is a stative verb and rarely takes the continuous form.