depend on

depend on — phrasal verb

  • depend onbase form
  • depends on3rd person singular
  • depending on-ing form
  • depended onpast simple

1. to trust someone or something because you are sure they will help you or do what

1.phrasal verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to trust someone or something because you are sure they will help you or do what you expect them to

Example

Amelia knows she can always depend on her older sister for advice when life gets hard.

depend on + person + for + noun phrase

The night-shift nurse can depend on the hospital security team to walk her to the car park.

depend on + someone + to + infinitive

Common collocations
  • depend on someone
  • depend on someone for something
  • can always depend on
Synonyms
  • rely on

    identical in meaning and usage; slightly more formal

  • count on

    more informal, common in everyday conversation

Grammar Patterns

depend on + noun phrase

depend on + someone + for + something

Usage Note

Often used with 'can' or 'could' to express the idea that someone is reliably available to help.

Common Mistakes

You can always depend your parents.
You can always depend on your parents.
The preposition 'on' is required; 'depend' never takes a direct object without it.

2. to trust that a future event will take place in exactly the way you are hoping f

2.phrasal verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to trust that a future event will take place in exactly the way you are hoping for

Example

Saira is depending on the last train of the night to get her home after the concert.

depend on + noun + to + infinitive (expectation)

Adina is depending on her landlord fixing the broken heater before the cold weather arrives.

depend on + noun + verb-ing

Common collocations
  • depend on someone to do something
  • depend on something happening
  • depending on
Synonyms
  • count on

    more informal; common in spoken English

  • bank on

    informal; suggests strong confidence in an outcome

Antonyms
  • doubt

    to feel uncertain about something happening

Grammar Patterns

depend on + noun phrase + to + infinitive

depend on + noun + verb-ing

Usage Note

This sense is frequently used in continuous tenses (e.g. 'I'm depending on you to…') to emphasise present reliance on a future event.

Common Mistakes

I depend on my brother picks me up.
I depend on my brother to pick me up.
After 'depend on someone', use 'to + infinitive', not a bare clause.

3. to need someone or something to provide you with the money, help, or other thing

3.phrasal verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to need someone or something to provide you with the money, help, or other things required to live or function

Example

Hugo's grandfather depends on a walking stick to move around the house safely.

depend on + thing + to + infinitive (need for function)

The animal shelter depends on donations from local shops to feed the dogs and cats.

depend on + noun phrase + for + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • depend on someone for money
  • depend on something to survive
  • depend heavily on
Synonyms
  • rely on

    similar but emphasises trust more than need

  • lean on

    more informal; suggests emotional or practical support

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

depend on + noun phrase + for + noun phrase

depend on + noun phrase + to + infinitive

Usage Note

Commonly used when talking about money, health, or basic needs. The subject is often a person or group that cannot function without the object.

Common Mistakes

The hospital depends of donations to stay open.
The hospital depends on donations to stay open.
Learners often confuse 'depend of' with 'depend on'; 'of' is always incorrect after 'depend'.

4. to change or be decided according to a particular factor, situation, or conditio

4.phrasal verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to change or be decided according to a particular factor, situation, or condition

Example

Mia asked whether the picnic was still happening, and I said it depends on the weather.

it depends on + noun phrase (conditional outcome)

Whether you get into the college depends on your exam results and your interview score.

whether-clause + depends on + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • it depends on
  • depends on the situation
  • depends on how/what/whether
Synonyms
  • hinge on

    more formal; suggests that the whole outcome rests on one thing

  • be contingent on

    formal; used in academic or legal writing

Grammar Patterns

depend on + noun phrase

it depends on + wh-clause

it depends (standalone)

Usage Note

The standalone form 'It depends' is very common in spoken English as a complete answer, especially before 'It depends on…' clarifies the condition.

Common Mistakes

If we go out depend of the weather.
Whether we go out depends on the weather.
Use a full clause as the subject, and always use 'on' not 'of'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: phrasal verb/1

All four phrasal verbs express trust in someone or something, but they differ in register and strength. 'Rely on' is the closest synonym for 'depend on' and can replace it in most contexts. 'Count on' is more informal and suggests a personal, often emotional expectation — you count on a friend to keep a secret. 'Bank on' is informal and conveys strong confidence that something will happen, often with money-related imagery ('I'm banking on a bonus this year'). 'Lean on' implies needing emotional or practical support from someone during a difficult time, rather than routine trust. For everyday use, 'depend on' and 'rely on' are the safest choices; 'count on' works well in conversation, while 'lean on' suits personal struggles.

rely on ↗count on ↗bank onlean on ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Depend' comes from Latin 'dependere', made up of 'de-' (down) and 'pendere' (to hang). The original image was of something hanging down from or hanging on something else — like a weight hanging from a hook. Over time this physical sense shifted to the abstract idea of one thing resting on another for support or being controlled by it. The preposition 'on' was added in English to form the phrasal verb 'depend on', which replaced the older 'depend of' by the 1600s.