The core of laŭ is alignment: something follows a line, matches a model, accords with a rule, or is presented from a stated source or viewpoint. English equivalents include “along,” “according to,” “in accordance with,” “by,” and “in someone’s view.” Keeping the idea of following a guide unifies these uses.
Following a physical line or route
In its concrete spatial use, laŭ traces a route defined by a road, river, coast, wall, or other extended landmark:
Ni promenis laŭ la rivero ĝis la malnova ponto.
We walked along the river as far as the old bridge.
Sekvu la verdajn signojn laŭ la koridoro.
Follow the green signs along the corridor.
The reference object supplies the line followed. It is not the destination, so the complement normally has no accusative -n: laŭ la rivero, not laŭ la riveron.
Compare three different spatial construals:
- iri laŭ la strato — proceed along the street's line;
- iri tra la strato — go through the street or the space it forms;
- iri al la strato — go to the street as a destination.
Ni iris al la marbordo kaj poste biciklis laŭ ĝi dum unu horo.
We went to the coast and then cycled along it for an hour.
The first preposition marks the goal; the second marks the route after arrival.
Conformity to a rule, plan, or model
Abstractly, a rule or plan becomes the line that conduct follows:
La kandidatoj estos taksataj laŭ la samaj kriterioj.
The candidates will be assessed according to the same criteria.
Ni instalis la aparaton laŭ la instrukcioj de la fabrikanto.
We installed the device according to the manufacturer's instructions.
La projekto progresas laŭ la plano, do ni ne ŝanĝos la templimon.
The project is progressing according to plan, so we will not change the deadline.
This use covers conformity, organization, classification, and correspondence. The guide may be binding, as with a law, or merely descriptive, as with a schedule.
The natural opposite is kontraŭ:
La firmao agis kontraŭ la leĝo, ne laŭ ĝi.
The company acted against the law, not in accordance with it.
Laŭ la leĝo says that an action or conclusion conforms to the law. Per la leĝo would present the law as the means by which something is achieved, a different and less usual relation.
Source and attribution
Laŭ can identify the source on whose report, data, or wording a statement rests:
Laŭ la veterprognozo, morgaŭ posttagmeze neĝos.
According to the weather forecast, it will snow tomorrow afternoon.
Laŭ la polico, neniu estis vundita en la akcidento.
According to the police, no one was injured in the accident.
This is an evidential frame: the speaker attributes the proposition rather than presenting it as independently verified. It does not automatically imply doubt. It simply tells the listener whose information is being followed.
— Ĉu la muzeo vere estas fermita? — Laŭ ĝia retejo, ĝi remalfermiĝos marde.
— Is the museum really closed? — According to its website, it will reopen on Tuesday.
Do not confuse source attribution with authorship or topic. Raporto de la komisiono is a report produced by the committee; raporto pri la akcidento is about the accident; laŭ la raporto introduces a conclusion based on the report.
In (formal) news, administrative, and (academic) prose, this distinction assigns evidential responsibility. A sentence beginning Laŭ la ministro... reports the minister's position; it does not commit the writer to its truth. See Stance and Evidential Responsibility.
Viewpoint and judgment
With a person, laŭ can mean “in the opinion or judgment of”:
Laŭ mi, la dua propono estas pli praktika.
In my view, the second proposal is more practical.
Kiu laŭ vi devus gvidi la kunvenon?
Who do you think should lead the meeting?
The laŭ phrase need not stand first. Next to a question word, laŭ vi clearly asks for the addressee's judgment rather than for an external fact.
English speakers often translate “for me” mechanically as por mi. Por mi can mean intended for me, beneficial to me, or relative to my personal circumstances; laŭ mi specifically frames an opinion or assessment:
Por mi la tasko estas malfacila, sed laŭ mia instruisto ĝi estas taŭga por ĉi tiu nivelo.
The task is difficult for me, but according to my teacher it is suitable for this level.
The first phrase describes my experience; the second attributes a judgment.
Basis, criterion, and classification
The guide can be evidence or a criterion rather than a person or written rule:
La kuracisto elektis la terapion laŭ la simptomoj kaj la testrezultoj.
The doctor chose the treatment on the basis of the symptoms and test results.
Bonvolu ordigi la dosierojn laŭ dato, ne laŭ nomo.
Please sort the files by date, not by name.
La prezo varias laŭ la sezono.
The price varies depending on the season.
In sorting, laŭ names the dimension that governs the order. With varii, it names the factor whose changes the result follows. English “by” is deceptive here: laŭ dato gives a classification criterion, whereas sendi per retpoŝto uses per for a channel.
The expression juĝi laŭ similarly identifies evidence or a standard:
Ne juĝu la tutan libron laŭ ĝia kovrilo.
Do not judge the whole book by its cover.
Laŭ versus nearby prepositions
| Phrase | Relation | Typical question |
|---|---|---|
| laŭ la instrukcioj | conformity | following what guide? |
| per la programo | means | using what? |
| pri la programo | topic | about what? |
| de la programisto | source, author, or possession | from/by whose? |
| kontraŭ la instrukcioj | nonconformity or opposition | against what? |
La analizisto verkis raporton pri la merkato laŭ datumoj ricevitaj de la statistika oficejo.
The analyst wrote a report about the market based on data received from the statistics office.
Here pri marks topic, laŭ marks evidential basis, and de marks source. Esperanto can make all three relations explicit in the same clause.
Derived forms and compounds
Laŭe means accordingly or in conformity with what has just been mentioned. It is more frequent in (formal) writing than in casual conversation:
La buĝeto estis reduktita, kaj ni laŭe ŝanĝis la laborplanon.
The budget was reduced, and we changed the work plan accordingly.
Laŭdire means “reportedly” or “according to what is said.” It distances the speaker from an unverified report and can sound (formal) or (literary):
Laŭdire, la malnova hotelo baldaŭ fariĝos studentloĝejo.
Reportedly, the old hotel will soon become student housing.
Laŭlonge de means along the length of something: arboj laŭlonge de la vojo. Laŭigi means make something conform to a standard, often in (formal) or (academic) contexts. Established compounds include laŭleĝa “lawful” and laŭplana “according to plan.” Their opposites may use kontraŭ-, as in kontraŭleĝa.
Case, attachment, and register
Because laŭ expresses route or alignment rather than destination, its complement normally remains nominative. Directional -n is not the ordinary way to distinguish the physical use. Use al, en, or another directional construction if a destination is intended.
A sentence-initial attribution normally scopes over the entire following proposition. A phrase inside the clause may attach more narrowly:
Laŭ la redaktoro, la artikolo bezonas nur etajn ŝanĝojn.
According to the editor, the article needs only minor changes.
La artikolo estas dividita laŭ temoj en kvin sekciojn.
The article is divided into five sections by topic.
All central uses are standard. Physical route and personal viewpoint are common in both (informal) and (formal) Esperanto. Source attribution, laŭe, and dense criterion phrases are especially frequent in (formal) and (academic) prose. Laŭdire deliberately signals report rather than personal verification.
Common Mistakes
Adding directional -n to a route
❌ Ni marŝis laŭ la riveron dum la tuta mateno.
Incorrect — the river defines the route; it is not a destination.
✅ Ni marŝis laŭ la rivero dum la tuta mateno.
We walked along the river all morning.
Using de to introduce a reported claim
❌ De la veterprognozo, vespere pluvos.
Incorrect — de does not frame the forecast as the basis of the claim.
✅ Laŭ la veterprognozo, vespere pluvos.
According to the weather forecast, it will rain this evening.
Calquing English “in my opinion”
❌ En mia opinio, la dua propono estas pli fidinda.
Incorrect calque — Esperanto normally frames the viewpoint with laŭ or uses miaopinie.
✅ Laŭ mi, la dua propono estas pli fidinda.
In my opinion, the second proposal is more reliable.
Using laŭ for an instrument or payment method
❌ Ni pagis la fakturon laŭ bankkarto.
Incorrect — the card is the means of payment, not a standard being followed.
✅ Ni pagis la fakturon per bankkarto.
We paid the invoice by bank card.
Key Takeaways
- Laŭ expresses alignment with a physical line, rule, plan, model, source, viewpoint, or criterion.
- A route after laŭ is not a destination and normally has no -n.
- Sentence-initial laŭ + source attributes a claim without automatically endorsing or doubting it.
- Laŭ mi frames an opinion; por mi frames benefit, purpose, or personal circumstances.
- Distinguish laŭ as standard or basis from per as means, pri as topic, de as source/authorship, and kontraŭ as opposition.
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- KontraŭB1 — Use kontraŭ for facing or opposing direction, resistance and protection, contact, and what is exchanged for something else.
- PerB1 — Use per for an instrument, means, method, channel, or intermediary through which an action is carried out.
- PriB2 — Use pri to mark a topic, concern, or matter that an action, text, thought, or relationship is about.
- DeA2 — Use de for movement or development away from a source and for relationships such as possession, authorship, composition, time, and passive agency.
- Prepositional Phrase AttachmentB1 — Show clearly whether an Esperanto prepositional phrase belongs to a verb, noun, adjective, or whole clause.
- Stance and Evidential ResponsibilityB1 — Express opinion, probability, evidence, and information source while making clear how strongly and why you support a claim.