Inklingo

How to Say "according to" in Spanish

English → Spanish

según

PrepositionA2General
Use 'según' when you are citing a source of information, such as a person, document, or in this case, a map.

Examples

Según el pronóstico del tiempo, lloverá mañana.

According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.

conforme

/kon-FOR-meh//konˈfoɾme/

PrepositionB1General
Use 'conforme' when you mean 'in agreement with' a plan, rule, or standard that you are following.
A wooden birdhouse built exactly to match a paper blueprint lying next to it.

Examples

Las obras se realizaron conforme al presupuesto aprobado.

The works were carried out according to the approved budget.

Todo salió conforme al plan.

Everything went according to plan.

Actuó conforme a la ley.

He acted according to the law.

The 'a' connector

When you use 'conforme' to mean 'according to,' you usually need the word 'a' right after it.

siguiendo

see-gee-EN-doh/siˈɣjendo/

Verb (Gerund)B1General
Use 'siguiendo' when describing the action of actively following or complying with instructions, advice, or a procedure.
A hiker successfully walking along a brightly colored, clearly marked dirt trail leading toward a small, welcoming wooden cabin, symbolizing reaching a goal by following a method.

Examples

El éxito del proyecto se logró siguiendo los pasos indicados.

The success of the project was achieved by following the indicated steps.

Ganó el concurso siguiendo las instrucciones al pie de la letra.

She won the contest by following the instructions to the letter.

Siguiendo la lógica, deberíamos esperar antes de invertir.

Following the logic (or: According to logic), we should wait before investing.

Llegamos a la cascada siguiendo el sendero del río.

We arrived at the waterfall by following the river path.

Explaining the Method

When used alone at the beginning or middle of a sentence, 'siguiendo' often explains how the main action was done, acting like 'by doing X' in English.

The Implied Preposition

Unlike English, you don't need a preposition (like 'by' or 'for') before 'siguiendo' when it explains the method; the gerund handles that job automatically.

Confusing 'según' with 'conforme' or 'siguiendo'

The most common mistake is using 'según' when you mean to express adherence to a plan or instructions. Remember, 'según' is for citing sources, while 'conforme' and 'siguiendo' relate to following rules or procedures.

Related Translations

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