关于 vs 对于(guānyú vs duìyú)
About vs Regarding / Towards
Structure Pattern
Explanation
These two prepositions are often confused because they both introduce a topic, but their grammatical roles and exact meanings differ.
1. 关于 (guānyú) - About / Concerning (The scope/topic)
- Introduces the subject matter or scope of a noun. It points to what something is "about."
- Can be used to modify a noun: 关于...的书 (A book about...).
- Must be placed at the very beginning of the sentence or clause.
2. 对于 (duìyú) - Regarding / Towards (The target/attitude)
- Points to the specific target of an action or an attitude (How do you feel towards this?).
- CANNOT modify a noun directly (You cannot say 对于...的书).
- Can be placed either before or after the subject (对于这件事，我... OR 我对于这件事...).
Example Sentences
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Zhè shì yì běn guānyú Zhōngguó lìshǐ de shū.
This is a book about Chinese history.
Guānyú nà ge wèntí, wǒmen yǐhòu zài tǎolùn.
Concerning that problem, we will discuss it later.
Duìyú tā de zuòfǎ, wǒ fēicháng bù mǎnyì.
Regarding his actions (My attitude towards his actions), I am very dissatisfied.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
我买了一本对于电脑的书。
Correct Usage
我买了一本关于电脑的书。
对于 cannot be used to modify a noun (对于...的 + Noun). You must use 关于 when saying "a book/movie/article *about* X".
Master 关于 vs 对于
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