A + 对 + B + Adjective
Reach for this when you want to say 'A is [good/bad/important/useful/harmful] FOR B.' It's how Chinese expresses one thing's effect on another, especially when describing health, learning, environment, or relationships. The 对 here means 'toward' or 'with respect to,' and it points the adjective at its target. You'll meet this constantly in everyday talk — '运动对身体好' (exercise is good for the body) is the textbook example, but it stretches to anything from technology to feelings.
Structure
[A] 对 [B] [ADJ]
[A] duì [B] [ADJ]
How to Think About It
对 here works like a tiny arrow pointing from A to B — 'A → B → ADJ.' The adjective isn't describing A on its own; it's describing how A lands on B. Drop B and you're describing A in isolation (这个东西很好 = 'this thing is good'). Add 对 + B and you're saying 'good FOR that specific target' (这个东西对你很好 = 'this thing is good for you'). That arrow is the whole point of the pattern.
Examples
运动对身体很好。
Yùndòng duì shēntǐ hěn hǎo.
Exercise is good for the body.
这个工作对我很重要。
Zhè ge gōngzuò duì wǒ hěn zhòngyào.
This job is very important to me.
抽烟对孩子不好。
Chōuyān duì háizi bù hǎo.
Smoking is bad for children.
Common Mistake
Learners forget to add 很 (or another degree adverb) before the adjective, because in English we don't need one — 'exercise is good for you' works without 'very.' In Chinese, a bare adjective predicate sounds like a comparison waiting for a second half. Native speakers add 很 even when they don't mean 'very.'
运动对身体好。
运动对身体很好。
Don't Confuse With
A + 对 + B + 说
Same 对, different verb. 对…说 means 'say TO someone.' Here B is the listener, not the thing being affected. Compare 他对我说 (he said to me) vs 这对我很好 (this is good for me).
A + 给 + B + Verb
给 marks the recipient of an action (送给我一本书 = 'gave me a book'). 对 marks the target of an attitude or effect. If you can swap the adjective for a verb like 'give,' you want 给; otherwise 对.
A + 对 + B + 有 + Noun
Same 对, but pairs with a noun like 兴趣, 帮助, 影响 instead of an adjective — '我对中文有兴趣' (I have interest in Chinese). When the slot after B is an adjective, use this pattern; when it's 有 + abstract noun, use that one.
Practice
牛奶 ___ 孩子很好。
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对
学中文对我 ___ 重要。
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很
Put in order: [对 / 身体 / 运动 / 好 / 很]
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运动对身体很好。
Translate to Chinese: 'This book is very useful for students.'
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这本书对学生很有用。
Write one sentence using A 对 B + Adj to describe something that is good or bad for a group of people.
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Example answer: 早睡早起对身体很好。 (Sleeping early and waking early is very good for the body.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: