How to Use the Spanish Word "Según"

Commonly Used as a Preposition Meaning 'According To'

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Updated on November 04, 2019

Según is commonly used as a preposition that means "according to" or "depending on." Also, según may be used as an adverb meaning "just as" or "it depends." In rarer cases, it can be used as a conjunction meaning, "depending on." The u in según always has an accent mark.

Según Used as a Preposition

As a preposition, the word según means "according to," "reported by," or "depending on." When the prepositional phrase is "according to" a person, the preposition is followed by a subject pronoun rather than a prepositional pronoun. For example, the correct pronouns would be según yo, según tú, según ella, según nosotros, etc.

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
La presidenta está viva, según su esposo.	The president is alive, according to her husband.
Este tipo de política podría suponer, según mi opinión, daños irreparables.	This type of politics can cause, in my opinion, irreparable harm.
Según el pronóstico, va a nevar.	According to the forecast, it's going to snow.
Según Andrea, Pedro está más feliz que nunca.	According to Andrea, Pedro is happier than ever.
Según lo que pasa, nos decidiremos luego.	Depending on what happens, we'll decide later.
Según mi libro, los cerdos no son sucios.	According to my book, pigs aren't dirty.
Según tú, no es necesario.	According to you, it's not necessary.

Según Used as a Conjunction

Unlike most other prepositions, según is sometimes followed by a verb. In the case of this usage, it is classified by most grammarians as a conjunction. As a conjunction it can be used to mean, "depending on," "just as" or "as."

Spanish Sentence or Phrase	English Translation
según se vea	depending on how one sees it
según como me encuentre	depending on how I feel
según esté el tiempo	depending on the weather
Según tienen hambre, es importante que coman.	As they are hungry, it is important that they eat.
Todos quedaron según estaban.	All stayed as they were.
según lo dejé	just as I left it
Hace anotaciones según va leyendo.	She makes notes as she reads.
Según están las cosas, es mejor no intervenir.	The way things are, it's better to not get involved.
Lo vi según salía.	I saw him as I was going out.
Según íbamos entrando nos daban la información.	They gave us the information as we went in.

Según Used as an Adverb

Según sometimes stands alone. In these cases, it often means "it depends," and it is usually acting as an adverb. It can also mean, "just as," when used to describe the manner something occurred or it can mean, "as," when used to describe the time that something occurred.

Spanish Sentence or Phrase	English Translation
Comeré o no comeré, según.	I'll eat or I won't, it just depends.
¿Vas a estudiar? [Response] Según.	"Are you going to study?" [Response] "It depends."
según y como	it all depends on
Sucedió según dijo.	It happened just as he said.
Según llegan los aviones, bajan las maletas.	As the planes arrive they unload the baggage.

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Erichsen, Gerald. "How to Use the Spanish Word "Según"." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/using-segun-spanish-3079341. Erichsen, Gerald. (2020, August 27). How to Use the Spanish Word "Según". Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/using-segun-spanish-3079341 Erichsen, Gerald. "How to Use the Spanish Word "Según"." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/using-segun-spanish-3079341 (accessed April 26, 2024).