La tarifa diaria depende de la categoría del vehículo.

In Spanish, most descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun. So tarifa diaria is the normal order.

• tarifa = the rate/fare
• diaria = daily

Putting the adjective before the noun is sometimes possible in Spanish, but it often sounds literary, emotional, or stylistically marked. In everyday Spanish, la tarifa diaria is the natural choice.

Because diaria has to agree with tarifa, which is a feminine singular noun.

Agreement in Spanish means the adjective matches the noun in:

• gender: masculine or feminine
• number: singular or plural

So:

• la tarifa diaria
• las tarifas diarias

If the noun were masculine singular, you would get diario instead:

• el costo diario

The verb depender normally requires the preposition de.

So Spanish says:

• depender de algo
• depender de alguien

That means when you use this verb, de is part of the pattern you need to remember.

Examples:

• Todo depende de ti.
• El precio depende de la temporada.
• La tarifa diaria depende de la categoría del vehículo.

This is similar to how some English verbs naturally go with certain prepositions, even if they do not match perfectly word-for-word.

Because each de is doing a different job in the noun phrase.

• depende de la categoría = depends on the category
• la categoría del vehículo = the vehicle's category / the category of the vehicle

So the structure is:

• depende de
  • thing depended on
• that thing is la categoría
• then del vehículo tells you which category

Spanish often uses de where English might use of or an apostrophe 's.

Because de + el contracts to del.

This contraction is required in standard Spanish:

• de + el = del
• a + el = al

So:

• de el vehículo → del vehículo

One important exception: if El is part of a proper name, you do not contract it. For example:

• de El Salvador (not del Salvador)

Spanish uses definite articles more often than English does.

Here, the speaker is talking about:

• the daily rate as a specific type of rate
• the category of the vehicle as part of a standard system or known reference

So la and del sound natural.

Spanish often includes articles in places where English would sound more natural without them. This is something learners usually need to get used to rather than translate literally every time.

They are related, but not exactly the same.

• tarifa: a rate, fare, fee, or charged amount according to a system
  
  • often used for hotels, transport, rentals, services, utilities
• precio: price in a general sense
• costo: cost, often more formal or business-like, and sometimes from the provider's perspective

In this sentence, tarifa fits well because it suggests a structured charge, like a rental or service rate.

For example, with vehicle rental language, tarifa diaria sounds very natural.

Vehículo is a broader and more formal word. It can refer to a car, truck, van, or another vehicle in a general category system.

That makes it a good choice in official, commercial, or legal language.

Regional notes in Latin America:

• carro is common in many countries
• auto is common in some places
• coche is more strongly associated with Spain, though it is understood elsewhere

In a sentence about pricing categories, vehículo sounds neutral and professional.

Yes, you may hear categoría de vehículo, especially in headings, labels, or more technical/commercial language. But it has a slightly different feel.

• la categoría del vehículo = the category of the vehicle
  
  • sounds more specific, as if referring to a particular vehicle
• la categoría de vehículo = vehicle category
  
  • sounds more general or classificatory

Both can appear in real Spanish, but in a normal full sentence, la categoría del vehículo is very natural.

Sometimes, yes, but the meaning and structure change a little.

• La tarifa diaria depende de la categoría del vehículo.

  • The daily rate is determined by / depends on the vehicle category.

• La tarifa diaria varía según la categoría del vehículo.

  • The daily rate varies according to the vehicle category.

These are similar, but depende de focuses on dependence, while según usually works with verbs like variar, cambiar, or with statements meaning according to.

So según does not directly replace de after depende. You would usually change more of the sentence.

Yes, but the original order is the most neutral and natural.

Standard order:

• La tarifa diaria depende de la categoría del vehículo.

You might also see:

• La tarifa depende de la categoría del vehículo.
• La tarifa diaria del vehículo depende de su categoría.

These alternatives shift the emphasis slightly or change the phrasing. For learners, the original sentence is a very good model because it is clear and standard.

The accent marks show the stressed syllable and also help follow Spanish spelling rules.

• categoría → stress on rí
• vehículo → stress on hí

Without the written accent, a Spanish speaker would apply the normal stress rules and pronounce them differently.

These written accents are not optional; they are part of the correct spelling.

You would make the noun phrase and adjective plural, and the verb would also change if the subject becomes plural.

Singular:

• La tarifa diaria depende de la categoría del vehículo.

Plural:

• Las tarifas diarias dependen de la categoría del vehículo.

Changes:

• la → las
• tarifa → tarifas
• diaria → diarias
• depende → dependen

The rest can stay the same if you are still talking about one category system for the vehicle.