When talking about fluctuating conditions, such as freelance rates or shifting schedules, Portuguese uses the word consoante (depending on / according to).
Unlike English, which requires the preposition "on" (depending on), consoante connects directly to the noun phrase. You will typically follow it immediately with a definite article (o, a, os, as) and the noun.
| The fees vary depending on the client. | Os honorários variam consoante o cliente. |
| There are months when the work varies depending on the volume. | Há meses em que o trabalho varia consoante o volume. |
Discussing Flexibility
Freelance and project-based work often require flexible (flexível) conditions. You can use verbs like ajustar (to adjust) or estabelecer (to establish) alongside consoante to explain how your availability (a disponibilidade) or fees (o honorário) change.
| I adjust the schedule depending on my availability. | Ajusto o horário consoante a minha disponibilidade. |
| We establish the price not only depending on the volume, but also depending on the complexity. | Estabelecemos o preço não só consoante o volume, mas também consoante a complexidade. |
Adapting to the Task
The verb adaptar (to adapt) is also commonly paired with consoante to express how rules or projects shift to meet a task's complexity (a complexidade).
| They adapted the rules depending on the complexity of the task. | Eles adaptaram as regras consoante a complexidade da tarefa. |