HSK 3
按、按照
àn 、 àn zhào
The structures 按 and 按照
Explanation
按 (àn) and 按照 (ànzhào) are both prepositions (words placed before a noun to indicate a relationship: at, with, for...) meaning "according to, in accordance with, following", used to state the basis or standard for an action.
Subject + 按 (àn) / 按照 (ànzhào) + noun (the basis) + verb. This phrase is placed before the verb, functioning as an adverbial.
when you want to say you do something "according to" a standard, rule, or plan, for example 按天计算 (calculate by the day), 按照地图 (according to the map), 按照计划 (according to the plan).
按 usually goes with simple, short nouns (especially time units such as 天, 月): 按天、按月; 按照 sounds more formal and usually goes with longer or abstract nouns such as 地图, 计划, 规定. Conversely, 按天 sounds more natural than 按照天.
do not place the 按/按照 phrase after the verb; it always comes before the verb. For short measurement units, prefer 按 over 按照.
Examples
The rent is calculated by the day or by the month.
Following the map, they found all the items and completed the task smoothly.
Practice
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Learn “按、按照” effectively
The grammar point “按、按照” (The structures 按 and 按照) is one of the key structures at HSK 3. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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