Learn Hardcore Japanese: sotira no tenkiyohou ni yoru to, syuumatu ha ame desu ka? - According to the weather forecast there, will it be rainy on the weekend?

そちら is a polite demonstrative meaning “your side/area” or “over there (near you).” In this sentence it means “the weather forecast for your area.” It’s politer than そっち. Compare:

こちら = my side/here
そちら = your side/there (near the listener)
あちら = that side/over there (away from both)

Why is there a の after そちら in そちらの天気予報?

の links nouns (possessive/attributive). そちらの天気予報 means “the weather forecast of/for your area.” It doesn’t imply personal ownership, just association with the listener’s location.

What does によると mean, and how does it work?

X によると、Y means “according to X, Y.” It’s built from the verb よる (“to be based on/caused by/depend on”) plus と (the quotative particle). You’re presenting Y as information sourced from X.

What’s the difference between によると, によれば, and によって?

によると and によれば both mean “according to.” They’re near‑interchangeable; によれば can feel a touch more formal/literary, but either is fine.
によって usually means “depending on,” “by,” or “due to,” not “according to” before a full clause. Example: 人によって違います (“It varies by person”).

Why is there a comma after と?

It marks a natural pause after the “according to …” preface. It’s optional but common in writing to separate the source clause from the main question.

Why is it 週末は and not 週末に or 週末が?

は marks the topic: “As for the weekend, …”
With a copula sentence (雨です), は is natural.
If you use a verb like 降ります, you’d mark time with に: 週末に雨が降りますか (“Will it rain on the weekend?”).
週末が雨ですか is odd because が would be trying to make “weekend” the grammatical subject of the noun 雨.

Is it natural to say 雨です instead of 雨が降ります?

Yes. 明日は雨です / 週末は雨です are idiomatic, treating “rain” as the weather type. Alternatives:

週末に雨が降りますか (“Will it rain on the weekend?”)
週末は雨の予報ですか (“Is the forecast rain for the weekend?”)

Shouldn’t there be そうだ or らしい after によると?

When stating information sourced from somewhere, you often add hearsay/speculation markers (e.g., …だそうです / …らしいです). Example: そちらの天気予報によると、週末は雨だそうです. But since you’re asking a question here, it’s fine to omit them: you’re confirming what the source says.

What nuance difference is there between ですか and でしょうか?

ですか: direct, polite question.
でしょうか: softer/more tentative, often more polite in customer‑facing speech. So 週末は雨でしょうか sounds more deferential.

Can I use だと or では instead of によると?

Yes, with nuance differences:

そちらの天気予報だと、… is casual/conversational.
そちらの天気予報では、… also works; it frames the forecast as a viewpoint/topic.
によると is the most neutral/formal for “according to.”

How would I ask the same thing more casually?

Examples:

そっちの天気予報だと、週末は雨？
そっちの予報、週末は雨？
Even shorter: 週末、そっち雨？

Can I move そちら later in the sentence?

Yes. For example: 天気予報によると、そちらは週末雨ですか？ This shifts the focus slightly to “your area,” but the meaning is essentially the same.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

Sochira no tenkiyohō ni yoru to, shūmatsu wa ame desu ka? Notes:

天気予報 = てんきよほう (not よぼう).
週末 = しゅうまつ
雨 = あめ

Does 週末 mean this coming weekend?

On its own, 週末 is “the weekend,” and context usually makes it “this coming weekend.” To be explicit:

今週末 = this weekend
来週末 = next weekend

Is it okay to have both か and a question mark?

Yes in modern typing. Traditionally, か。 (with a period) is standard. In casual/digital writing, か？ is common and adds a clear question intonation.

What exactly is the verb よる here? Is it the same as 夜?

Different word. よる (因る/依る) here means “to be due to; to be based on; to depend on.” It’s usually written in kana. It’s not 夜 (“night”), and it’s not 寄る (“to drop by/approach”).

How could I answer this question naturally?

Yes: はい、（そちらの）天気予報では週末は雨です。
No: いいえ、雨ではないようです。 / 晴れの予報です。
Not sure: まだ分かりません。最新の予報を確認してみます。