Prepositions · CEFR A2
“Depend of” or “depend on”? The correct preposition
Incorrect
It depends of
Correct
It depends on
The correct phrase is “depend on” (or “depend upon” in formal writing). “Depend of” is never correct in English: “It depends on the weather.”
The rule
Depend always takes on: depend on someone, depend on something, it depends on whether…
The same preposition appears in related words: dependent on, reliant on, rely on. The noun dependence also takes on. The one exception is independent of - independence uses of.
Examples
✗ It depends of the price.
✓ It depends on the price.
✗ Children depend of their parents.
✓ Children depend on their parents.
✗ It depends of what you want.
✓ It depends on what you want.
Why learners make this mistake
Spanish (depender de), Portuguese (depender de), Italian (dipendere da) and French (dépendre de) all use a preposition that translates as “of” or “from”.
Remember
You depend ON something because you lean ON it.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I just say “it depends”?
- Yes. “It depends” on its own is completely natural as a short answer.
- Is it “independent of” or “independent from”?
- Both are used; “independent of” is more common in British and formal English.
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