bunbetsuhyou ni yoru to, akikan to koshi wa shigengomi desu.

topic particle

Breakdown of bunbetsuhyou ni yoru to, akikan to koshi wa shigengomi desu.

• です: to be
• と: noun-connector particle
• に よる と: according to

Questions & Answers about bunbetsuhyou ni yoru to, akikan to koshi wa shigengomi desu.

What does によると mean here?

Here, によると means according to.

So 分別表によると means according to the sorting chart.

Even though よる has other uses in Japanese, in this pattern it is best learned as a set expression:

• N によると = according to N

A very similar expression is N によれば, which also means according to N.

Why is there a に before よる?

In N によると, the に marks the source or basis of the information.

So:

• 分別表によると = according to the sorting chart

This is just how the expression is built. It is not something you would usually translate piece by piece in natural English. For learners, it is easiest to remember によると as one chunk.

Why is と used twice in this sentence? Does it mean the same thing both times?

No, the two と's are doing different jobs.

1. In によると, the と is part of the fixed expression Nによると = according to N.
2. In 空き缶と古紙, the と is the normal particle meaning and, joining two nouns.

So:

• 分別表によると = according to the sorting chart
• 空き缶と古紙 = empty cans and waste paper

Same sound, different function.

Why do take ?