〜次第 — JLPT N3 Grammar

Master both meanings of 〜次第: 'as soon as ~' (formal temporal) and 'depends on ~' (conditional) — essential for N3 business communication.

japanesegrammarn3jlpt

Pattern: 〜次第

Structure:

  • Meaning 1: Verb (masu-stem) + 次第 → "as soon as [action completes]"
  • Meaning 2: Noun + 次第だ / Noun + 次第で(は) → "it depends on ~, it is up to ~"

Formality: Formal (Meaning 1 especially used in business)

Meaning: As soon as ~ / Depends entirely on ~

Explanation

〜次第 has two distinct meanings at N3:

Meaning 1 — "As soon as" (verb masu-stem + 次第):
A formal expression used frequently in business communication. It means "as soon as [the action in the first clause is completed], [the second action will follow]." The result clause must express a future event, not a past one. This is more formal than 〜たらすぐ.

Meaning 2 — "Depends on" (noun + 次第だ):
Expresses that an outcome is entirely contingent on one decisive factor. 「結果は努力次第だ」— the result depends entirely on effort. Often followed by だ, で(は), or by: 「〜次第でどうにでもなる」(can go either way depending on ~).

Example Sentences

Japanese Reading Romaji English Meaning
到着次第、ご連絡いたします。 とうちゃくしだい、ごれんらくいたします。 Tōchaku shidai, go-renraku itashimasu. I will contact you as soon as I arrive. As soon as
準備が整い次第、会議を始めます。 じゅんびがととのいしだい、かいぎをはじめます。 Junbi ga totonoi shidai, kaigi o hajimemasu. We will start the meeting as soon as preparations are complete. As soon as
結果が出次第、お知らせします。 けっかがでしだい、おしらせします。 Kekka ga de shidai, oshirase shimasu. I will let you know as soon as results come out. As soon as
成功するかどうかは、努力次第だ。 せいこうするかどうかは、どりょくしだいだ。 Seikō suru ka dō ka wa, doryoku shidai da. Whether you succeed depends entirely on effort. Depends on
うまくいくかは、あなた次第です。 うまくいくかは、あなたしだいです。 Umaku iku ka wa, anata shidai desu. Whether it goes well is up to you. Depends on

Common Mistakes

❌ 到着次第、昨日連絡した。(past tense result — impossible with 次第 Meaning 1)
✓ 到着次第、連絡いたします。— Result must be future.

❌ 天気次第すれば行く。(wrong structure)
✓ 天気次第で行くかどうか決める。— Meaning 2 uses 次第で or 次第だ.

Comparison with Similar Patterns

Pattern Meaning Formality
〜次第（Mng 1） As soon as ~ Formal (business)
〜たらすぐ As soon as ~ (right after) Casual-neutral
〜てすぐ Immediately after Casual-neutral
〜次第（Mng 2） Depends on ~ Standard-formal
〜によって（variation） Differs depending on ~ Formal