对 + Person + 说话
Reach for 对 + person + verb when you want to specify the human target of an action — 'speak TO him,' 'smile AT her,' 'shout AT them.' 对 introduces who you're directing your action toward. It goes BEFORE the verb, not after, which trips up English speakers used to 'talk to.' Most common with verbs of speaking and emotional expression: 说, 笑, 喊, 解释, 承认.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 对 [PERSON] [VERB]
duì [PERSON] [VERB]
How to Think About It
对 sets up the AIM before the verb fires. English orders it 'verb + at/to + person'; Chinese pre-loads the target with 对 and then delivers the verb. The order is fixed — once you put 对+person AFTER the verb, you've made an English-shaped sentence that doesn't parse cleanly in Chinese. Also note 对 is for human/animate targets when paired with speech and emotion verbs; for handing things over, you'd use 给.
Examples
他对小红说话。
Tā duì Xiǎohóng shuōhuà.
He's speaking to Xiaohong.
老师对学生笑了。
Lǎoshī duì xuésheng xiào le.
The teacher smiled at the students.
妈妈对我说不要哭。
Māma duì wǒ shuō bú yào kū.
Mom said to me, don't cry.
Common Mistake
Learners follow English word order and write 'verb + 对 + person,' producing 说对他 instead of 对他说. 对 must come BEFORE the verb in this pattern.
他说对我。
他对我说。
Don't Confuse With
跟 + Person + 说话
Means 'speak WITH someone' — implies dialogue and equal participation. 对 is more one-directional ('speak AT/TO'). For chatting, prefer 跟; for delivering a message at someone, prefer 对.
给 + Person + Verb
Marks the RECEIVER of a benefit or transfer — '给他打电话' (call him), '给妈妈做饭' (cook for mom). Use 给 when something is being delivered TO the person; use 对 when you're aiming an utterance or emotion AT them.
向 + Person + Verb
Formal cousin of 对, meaning 'toward.' Common with verbs like 道歉, 学习, 表示: '向您道歉.' In speech, 对 is more natural; 向 lives in formal writing and set phrases.
Practice
他 ___ 我说: '你好!'
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对
妹妹对妈妈 ___ 了。
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笑
Put in order: [我 / 说话 / 老师 / 对]
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老师对我说话。
Translate to Chinese: 'He smiled at me.'
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他对我笑了。
Write one sentence using 对 + person + verb about a daily interaction.
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Example answer: 我每天早上对爸爸说: '早上好!' (Every morning I say 'good morning' to my dad.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: