Mission—Team—FAQ—Privacy—Terms—Sponsors—Grammar—Typing Course—Donate

© 2026 Elon Automation B.V.

Learn Hardcore Japanese: onseiannai ni sitagau. - I follow the spoken prompts.

Hardcore Japanese
/Taking a first-aid course
/onseiannai ni shitagau.

onseiannai ni shitagau.

音声案内おんせいあんない　に　従したがう。onseiannai ni shitagau.

I follow the spoken prompts.

Breakdown of onseiannai ni shitagau.

target particle

従したがうshitagau

音声案内おんせいあんないonseiannai

voice guidance; spoken prompts

Elon.io is an online learning platform

We have hundreds of Japanese lessons and thousands of exercises.

Start learning Japanese

Questions & Answers about onseiannai ni shitagau.

How do you read 音声案内に従う?

It is read:

音声案内 → おんせいあんない
に → に
従う → したがう

So the full sentence is:

おんせいあんないにしたがう

What does 音声案内 mean by itself?

音声案内 is a compound noun:

音声 = voice, audio, spoken sound
案内 = guidance, directions, information, instructions

Together, 音声案内 means something like:

audio guidance
voice guidance
spoken instructions
audio announcements

The exact English wording depends on context. For example, in a station, elevator, phone menu, or navigation system, it often refers to spoken guidance given by a machine or system.

Why is the particle に used here?

Nihon-shiki romanizationwatasi ha tyuugoku kara kimasita

Hepburn romanizationwatashi wa chuugoku kara kimashita

Start learning Japanese now

With 従う, Japanese normally uses に to mark the thing, rule, person, or instruction that someone follows.

So:

音声案内に従う = follow the audio guidance
ルールに従う = follow the rules
先生の指示に従う = follow the teacher’s instructions

This can feel a little strange to English speakers, because English uses a direct object:

follow the instructions

But Japanese does not normally say 音声案内を従う.
With 従う, に is the natural particle.

What does 従う mean exactly? Is it the same as follow in English?

従う means to:

obey
follow
comply with
act according to

It often has the nuance of following instructions, rules, guidance, orders, or someone’s will.

So in this sentence, it does not mean physically walking behind something. It means:

follow the spoken instructions
act according to the audio guidance

That is why 従う fits well with things like:

instructions
rules
advice
orders
guidance

How is 従う different from physically following someone?

Good question. 従う is often about obeying or complying, not just moving behind someone.

For example:

先生の指示に従う = obey the teacher’s instructions
規則に従う = follow the rules

If you want to say physically go after someone, Japanese often uses expressions like:

ついていく = go along with / follow behind
あとをついていく = follow after someone

So 音声案内に従う is about following guidance, not physically chasing a voice.

Why is 従う in dictionary form? Is this still a complete sentence?

Yes, it can still be a complete sentence in Japanese.

The dictionary form 従う is often used in:

written instructions
manuals
signs
headings
simple, neutral statements

So 音声案内に従う。 can sound like a plain instruction such as:

Follow the audio guidance.
One should follow the audio guidance.

A more direct and polite instruction would be:

音声案内に従ってください。

That version is closer to Please follow the audio guidance.

Where is the subject? I do not see you anywhere.

Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.

In a sentence like 音声案内に従う。, the implied subject is usually:

you
the person being addressed
people in general

So even though Japanese does not say あなたは, the meaning is still understood from the situation.

This omission is extremely common in Japanese.

Can I say 音声案内を従う?

No, that sounds unnatural.

With 従う, the thing being followed is normally marked by に, not を.

So the natural form is:

音声案内に従う

Not:

音声案内を従う

This is one of those cases where Japanese grammar does not match English grammar directly. Even though English says follow the guidance, Japanese uses に with this verb.

Is 音声案内 one word or two words?

It is a compound noun made from two nouns:

音声
案内

Japanese very often combines nouns like this to make a more specific term. So while you can analyze it as two parts, it functions as one unit here:

音声案内に従う

You can think of 音声案内 as one chunk meaning audio guidance.

What is the difference between 音声案内に従う and 音声案内に従ってください?

The difference is mainly tone and formality.

音声案内に従う。
Plain form. Neutral, concise, often used in written instructions, notes, or simplified statements.
音声案内に従ってください。
Polite request/instruction. This is what you would say if you want to tell someone directly, Please follow the audio guidance.

So the shorter version can sound like a label, instruction style, or plain statement, while the 〜てください version sounds more like something directly addressed to the listener.

What does 従って mean if I see it instead of 従う?

従って is the て-form of 従う.

It is used for things like:

connecting actions
making requests
giving instructions as part of a longer sentence

Examples:

音声案内に従ってください。
Please follow the audio guidance.
音声案内に従って進んでください。
Please proceed according to the audio guidance.

So if you see 従って, it is the same verb, just in a different grammatical form.

Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io