关于
about; regarding; concerning
guānyú
What does 关于 mean?
关于 (guānyú) is a preposition that introduces a topic — 'about,' 'regarding,' or 'concerning.' Two patterns matter. First, when 关于 + topic comes at the FRONT of a sentence, it sets the topic for what follows (关于这个问题,我有几个想法 — regarding this question, I have a few ideas). Second, 关于 + topic can modify a noun directly (关于历史的书 — a book about history).
What English speakers should watch: 关于 cannot follow the verb the way 'about' often does in English. 'I want to talk about you' is 我想跟你说说 or 我想谈谈你的事, not 我想说关于你. For the verb-object 'talk about,' use 谈 / 聊 / 说 with the topic directly. Use 关于 when you're FRAMING a topic — like a heading.
Note: Slightly more formal than dropping a topic in casually with 的事 ('the matter of...'). Common in titles, books, articles, and any time you front-load a topic.
Character breakdown
involve; concern; close
at; in; with respect to (formal preposition)
Memory hook: 关 'concerning' + 于 'with respect to' — concerning, with respect to (a topic): about.
Example sentences
这是一本关于中国的书。
Zhè shì yī běn guānyú Zhōngguó de shū.
This is a book about China.
neutral
关于这个问题,我有不同的看法。
Guānyú zhège wèntí, wǒ yǒu bùtóng de kànfǎ.
Regarding this question, I have a different view.
neutral
我想了解关于你的事。
Wǒ xiǎng liǎojiě guānyú nǐ de shì.
I want to learn about you.
spoken
老师讲了一个关于历史的故事。
Lǎoshī jiǎng le yī gè guānyú lìshǐ de gùshi.
The teacher told a story about history.
neutral
Common phrases with 关于
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关于 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
对于 means 'toward / as for' — it introduces a TARGET someone has a view or attitude about (对于这个问题,我同意 — as for this question, I agree). 关于 frames the TOPIC itself. The two often overlap, but 对于 emphasizes the speaker's stance, 关于 emphasizes the subject area.