对
correct; right; toward; pair
duì
What does 对 mean?
对 (duì) is a high-frequency word with three core uses. As an adjective it means 'correct / right' — 你说得对 ('you're right'), 对！ ('correct!') — the standard one-word confirmation in conversation, equivalent to English 'right' or 'yeah.' As a preposition it means 'toward / to / regarding,' marking the target of an action: 对我说 ('to say to me'), 对学生很好 ('very good to students'), 对...感兴趣 ('interested in...'). As a measure word it counts pairs: 一对夫妻 ('a married couple'), 一对耳环 ('a pair of earrings'). The opposite of adjective 对 is 错 (cuò, 'wrong'). 对 is also a tone-change anchor: many learners hear 对 as a quick affirmative throughout natural speech, similar to how English speakers drop 'right' or 'yeah' between sentences.
Character breakdown
correct; toward; pair
Example sentences
你说得对。
Nǐ shuō de duì.
You're right.
spoken
对不起，我来晚了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.
Sorry, I'm late.
spoken
他对我很好。
Tā duì wǒ hěn hǎo.
He's very nice to me.
neutral
我对中国文化很感兴趣。
Wǒ duì Zhōngguó wénhuà hěn gǎn xìngqù.
I'm very interested in Chinese culture.
neutral
桌上有一对杯子。
Zhuō shang yǒu yí duì bēizi.
There's a pair of cups on the table.
neutral
Common phrases with 对
Synonyms
正确 means 'correct / accurate' in a more formal register — used for answers, decisions, methods (正确答案, 'correct answer'). 对 is the casual everyday version; 正确 sounds like a textbook.
没错 ('not wrong') is a stronger spoken affirmation — closer to 'exactly / that's right.' Use 对 for 'yes / right'; use 没错 when you want to emphasize the other person nailed it.
Don't confuse 对 with
队 means 'team / line / queue' (篮球队, 'basketball team'). Same pinyin as 对, completely different character and meaning.
对面 means 'opposite side / across from' as a noun (在对面, 'on the opposite side'). The 对 inside it carries the 'facing' sense, but the standalone word 对 doesn't mean 'opposite' on its own.
Both 对 and 给 can translate to English 'to' before a person, but they're not interchangeable. Use 给 for giving / receiving (给我打电话, 'call me'); use 对 for facing / addressing (对我说, 'say to me').