Portuguese Phrase
Depende de como você usa.
Meaning
‘It depends on how you use it.’ The sentence tells the listener that the result, value, or effectiveness of something varies according to the way the listener employs it.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to qualify a statement about a tool, app, method, or any object whose usefulness changes with the user’s approach – e.g., software features, cooking techniques, or study habits.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Dependedecomovocêusa
Depende (verb)
Third‑person singular of the verb *depender* (to depend) in the present indicative; used impersonally to mean ‘it depends’.
de (preposition)
Introduces the cause, condition or reference point; here it links *depende* with the clause *como você usa*.
como (adverb)
Means ‘how’; it introduces a subordinate clause that explains the manner or way something is done.
você (pronoun)
Second‑person singular pronoun (formal/informal in Brazil); the verb that follows must agree in the third‑person singular.
usa (verb)
Third‑person singular present of *usar* (to use); agrees with *você*.
🗨In Conversation
Esse aplicativo pode melhorar meu português?
Can this app improve my Portuguese?
Depende de como você usa.
It depends on how you use it.
✕Common Mistakes
Depende de que você usa.
‘De que’ asks for a noun, not a manner. The correct adverb for ‘how’ is *como*.
Depende de como você usas.
When using *você*, the verb must stay in third‑person singular (*usa*), not second‑person singular (*usas*).
Depende de como tu usa.
If you switch to *tu*, the verb must agree (*usas*). Mixing *você* with *tu* forms creates agreement errors.
↔Alternatives
Depende de como você o utiliza.
It depends on how you use it.
Depende de como você faz uso.
It depends on how you make use of it.
Depende da forma como você usa.
It depends on the way you use it.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, *você* is the default second‑person pronoun in most regions, while *tu* is common in the South and some rural areas. The construction *Depende de como…* is neutral and works in both formal and informal contexts, but avoid overly formal *Depende de como Vossa Senhoria usa* unless you’re speaking to someone in a very formal setting.