对 + Person/Target + [Verb/Adjective]
Reach for this when an action or attitude is directed AT someone or something — 'toward,' 'to,' 'about,' 'for.' 对 marks the target of feelings ('对我很好' / 'good to me'), reactions ('对这件事很生气' / 'angry about this'), or actions ('对学生说' / 'said to the students'). It's the everyday Chinese way to point an emotion or behavior at its recipient. Neutral register — works in speech, writing, news, and conversation. Pair with adjectives describing attitude or with verbs of speech, feeling, or effect.
Structure
Subject + 对 + Target + Verb/Adjective Phrase.
duì
How to Think About It
Picture 对 as an arrow pointing FROM the subject TO the target. The verb or adjective then describes the arrow's shape — kind, angry, useful, dismissive. English splits this work across many prepositions ('to,' 'toward,' 'for,' 'about,' 'on'); Chinese funnels almost all of them through 对. 他对我笑了 ('he smiled at me'); 我对中文很感兴趣 ('I'm very interested in Chinese'); 这对你有好处 ('this is good for you').
Examples
他对我很好。
Tā duì wǒ hěn hǎo.
He's very good to me.
我对中文很感兴趣。
Wǒ duì Zhōngwén hěn gǎn xìngqù.
I'm very interested in Chinese.
运动对身体有好处。
Yùndòng duì shēntǐ yǒu hǎochù.
Exercise is good for the body.
妈妈对我说要早点回家。
Māma duì wǒ shuō yào zǎodiǎn huí jiā.
Mom told me to come home early.
Common Mistake
Learners place 对 + Target AFTER the verb or adjective, following English order ('he is kind to me' → 他好对我). In Chinese the 对 phrase sits BEFORE the verb or adjective.
他很好对我。
他对我很好。
Don't Confuse With
给 + Person + Verb
Marks the recipient of giving or doing for ('给我打电话' / call me). Use 给 for actions performed on behalf of someone; 对 for attitudes or actions directed at someone.
跟/和 + Person + Verb
Marks a co-participant ('跟我说话' / talk WITH me). 对 is one-directional ('to'); 跟/和 implies mutual interaction.
关于 + Topic
'About / regarding' — introduces a topic of discussion. 对 + Target is the target of feeling or action; 关于 is the subject of communication.
Practice
Fill in: 我____中国文化很感兴趣。
Show answer
对
Arrange: 好 / 我 / 他 / 对 / 很
Show answer
他对我很好。
Translate to Chinese: This book is very helpful for me.
Show answer
这本书对我很有帮助。
Use 对 to describe how someone treats you or something you care about.
Show answer
我妈妈对我很严格。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode. Press play to hear the sentence:
中国对英国人免签。
China is visa-free for British people.
China Grants Visa-Free Entry to UK and CanadaBeginner
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 对 + Person/Target + [Verb/Adjective] in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.