按照 (ànzhào) — 'according to / based on'
Reach for 按照 when you want to anchor an action to a rule, standard, plan, or someone's view — 'according to the rules,' 'based on the plan,' 'as the boss said.' It's the prepositional connector that frames whatever follows as the basis for what you're doing. More formal than its cousin 按, and very common in news, instructions, contracts, and any sentence where compliance or reference to a standard matters.
Structure
按照 [BASIS], [CLAUSE]
ànzhào [BASIS]...
How to Think About It
按照 doesn't translate one English word — it covers 'according to,' 'based on,' 'in accordance with,' and 'as per' all in one go. The 按 carries the 'press / hold to' image (you're pressing the action down onto a standard); the 照 means 'illuminate / follow.' Together: do the action while keeping the standard lit up in front of you. Always pairs with a NOUN — a rule, plan, view, schedule — never a verb directly.
Examples
按照规定, 这里不能停车。
Ànzhào guīdìng, zhèlǐ bùnéng tíngchē.
According to the rules, you can't park here.
按照计划, 我们下周出发。
Ànzhào jìhuà, wǒmen xià zhōu chūfā.
According to the plan, we leave next week.
按照他的看法, 这个项目不能成功。
Ànzhào tā de kànfǎ, zhège xiàngmù bùnéng chénggōng.
According to his view, this project can't succeed.
Common Mistake
Learners follow 按照 with a verb instead of a noun, by analogy with English 'according to do X.' 按照 needs a noun phrase: the rule, the plan, the agreement. If you want to say 'according to what he said,' you nominalize it — 按照他说的, not 按照他说.
按照他说, 我们应该出发了。
按照他说的, 我们应该出发了。
Don't Confuse With
按 (àn)
Shorter, slightly less formal version of 按照. 按规定 and 按照规定 mean the same thing; 按 fits in conversation and headlines, 按照 in essays and policy text.
根据 (gēnjù)
Very close in meaning — 'based on / according to.' 根据 emphasizes the evidence or source for a conclusion ('based on the data'); 按照 emphasizes following a standard or instruction ('according to the rules'). Subtle but real.
依照 (yīzhào)
Legal / formal-register cousin of 按照. Used in contracts, laws, regulations. Don't reach for it in casual conversation; 按照 is the everyday workhorse.
Practice
___ 老师的要求, 我们要写一篇文章。 (fill in 'according to')
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按照
按照 ___, 比赛明天开始。 (insert a noun like 'schedule')
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时间表
Put in order: [按照 / 我们 / 法律 / 处理 / 这件事]
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按照法律我们处理这件事。
Translate to Chinese: 'According to the contract, the company must pay this month.'
Show answer
按照合同, 公司这个月必须付钱。
Write one sentence about something you do based on a rule, schedule, or plan, using 按照.
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Example answer: 按照公司的规定, 我们每天九点上班。 (According to the company's rules, we start work at nine every day.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: