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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1


                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS


We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Annual Report (Form 10-K)
of Sybase, Inc. of our reports dated January 28, 1998, except for Note Thirteen,
as to which the date is February 26, 1998, included in the 1997 Annual Report to
Shareholders of Sybase, Inc.

Our audits also included the financial statement schedule of Sybase, Inc. listed
in Item 14(a). This schedule is the responsibility of the Company's management.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion based on our audits. In our opinion,
the financial statement schedule referred to above, when considered in relation
to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all
material respects the information set forth therein.

We also consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements
(Forms S-3) pertaining to the resale of Sybase, Inc. common stock by certain
former stockholders of Purchase Net, Inc., and Visual Components, Inc. and
related Prospectuses, and in the Registration Statements (Forms S-8) and related
Prospectuses pertaining to the 1996 Stock Plan, the 1988 Stock Option Plan, the
1992 Director Stock Option Plan, the 1991 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 1991
Foreign Subsidiary Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the Gain Technology, Inc. 1990
Stock Option Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Agreement, the Powersoft
Corporation 1984 Incentive Stock Option Plan, the Powersoft Corporation 1994
Amended and Restated Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, the Letter
Agreement between Powersoft Corporation and William P. Miller dated April 5,
1991, the Complex Architectures, Inc. Stock Option Plan and the Letter Agreement
dated February 25, 1994 between Complex Architectures, Inc. and Frank A. Sola,
the Expressway Technologies 1987 Stock Option Plan, the Micro Decisionware, Inc.
Stock Option Plan, and the Visual Tools, Inc. 1993 Stock Option Plan, of our
reports dated January 28, 1998, except for Note Thirteen, as to which the date
is February 26, 1998, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and
schedule of Sybase, Inc. included and incorporated by reference in its Annual
Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 1997.

                                                /s/  ERNST & YOUNG



Walnut Creek, California
March 26, 1998