关于……
Reach for 关于 when you need to announce the topic of something — a book about history, a question about money, a news report about the war. It works like the English preposition 'about' or 'regarding' and almost always sits at the very front of the noun phrase it modifies. In a full sentence, the 关于-phrase typically opens the clause or attaches to a noun via 的. It's the workhorse topic-marker for headlines, table-of-contents lines, and any sentence that needs to say 'on the subject of X.'
Structure
关于 [TOPIC] 的 [NOUN] / 关于 [TOPIC]，[CLAUSE]
guānyú...
How to Think About It
关于 acts like a folder label: it tags whatever follows as 'the subject under discussion.' If you want to attach it to a noun, you almost always need 的 after the topic — 关于环境的问题, not 关于环境问题. If you want to use it to open a sentence ('Regarding X, ...'), drop the 的 and put a comma after the topic. This 的 rule trips up almost every learner at first.
Examples
这是一本关于中国历史的书。
Zhè shì yì běn guānyú Zhōngguó lìshǐ de shū.
This is a book about Chinese history.
关于明天的会议，请大家准时到。
Guānyú míngtiān de huìyì, qǐng dàjiā zhǔnshí dào.
Regarding tomorrow's meeting, please everyone arrive on time.
我有一个关于学习的问题。
Wǒ yǒu yí ge guānyú xuéxí de wèntí.
I have a question about studying.
关于这件事，我想再想一想。
Guānyú zhè jiàn shì, wǒ xiǎng zài xiǎng yi xiǎng.
About this matter, I want to think it over again.
他在网上看了一篇关于咖啡的文章。
Tā zài wǎng shàng kàn le yì piān guānyú kāfēi de wénzhāng.
He read an article about coffee online.
Common Mistake
Learners attach 关于 directly to a noun without 的, producing things like 关于经济问题. Chinese normally requires 的 to bridge 关于-phrase + noun; without it, the phrase sounds clipped and headline-style rather than conversational.
我看了一本关于历史书。
我看了一本关于历史的书。
Don't Confuse With
对于...
Use 对于 for 'towards' or 'with respect to' when expressing attitude or stance ('对于这个问题, 我同意'). 关于 introduces the topic itself, not your attitude toward it.
至于...
Use 至于 to shift to a different topic mid-discussion ('as for...'). 关于 simply names the topic; 至于 pivots away from what was just said.
...方面
Use ...方面 ('in terms of...') to specify an aspect or angle. 关于 is broader — it covers the whole subject, not just one facet.
对 + Object
对 marks the target of an attitude or effect ('对我有好处' = 'is good for me'). 关于 marks the topic of discussion. 'A book about him' = 关于他的书; 'good for him' = 对他好。
对于 + Topic
Very close to 关于, but 对于 leans toward 'as for, with respect to' — used when introducing someone's stance on a topic. 关于 is broader and more neutral; 对于 specifically frames an opinion or attitude.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 这是一篇 ___ 环境保护的文章。
Show answer
关于
Fill in the blank: 关于这件事 ___ 看法，我想听听你的意见。
Show answer
的
Arrange: 一些 / 我 / 有 / 关于 / 工作 / 的 / 问题
Show answer
我有一些关于工作的问题。
Translate: She wrote a novel about her hometown.
Show answer
她写了一本关于家乡的小说。
Write a sentence introducing a topic you're curious about using 关于.
Show answer
我最近在读一本关于人工智能的书。
这是一本 ___ 中国的书。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 4 Fluentide episodes:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 关于…… 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, no card.