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Mandarin Pathways
Grammar reference

关于/对于 + Topic, + Comment | Subject + 对于 + Topic + Comment

关于 (guānyú) vs 对于 (duìyú) — introducing a topic: 'about/regarding' vs 'with regard to'

关于 and 对于 both mean roughly 'regarding, about', introducing the topic a sentence is going to discuss, but they attach differently. 关于 + Topic almost always opens the whole sentence, often as the title/subject of a book, article, or report, or to shift to a new topic — 关于这个问题，我有一些想法 (regarding this question, I have some thoughts); it can't easily sit after the subject. 对于 + Topic can also open the sentence, but — unlike 关于 — it can also come AFTER the subject, right before the comment: 我对于这个结果很满意 (I am quite satisfied with this result) or 对于这个结果，我很满意 (regarding this result, I'm quite satisfied) — both are fine, since 对于 attaches an attitude/reaction (satisfied, interested, concerned) to a topic, which 关于 rarely does. The deciding question: does the subject have a reaction, opinion, or attitude toward the topic (→对于, and it can follow the subject), or am I simply announcing/shifting to a new topic before saying anything about it (→关于, always sentence-initial)?

Examples

  • 关于这个问题，我有一些想法。
    guān yú zhè ge wèn tí, wǒ yǒu yì xiē xiǎng fǎ

    Regarding this question, I have some thoughts.

  • 我对于这个结果很满意。
    wǒ duì yú zhè ge jié guǒ hěn mǎn yì

    I'm quite satisfied with this result.

  • 关于这次考试，老师对于大家的成绩都很满意。
    guān yú zhè cì kǎo shì, lǎo shī duì yú dà jiā de chéng jì dōu hěn mǎn yì

    Regarding this exam, the teacher is quite satisfied with everyone's results.

Common mistake

✗ Wrong: 我关于这个结果很满意。

✓ Right: 我对于这个结果很满意。

Expressing your own attitude or reaction toward a topic (satisfied, worried, interested) needs 对于, which can follow the subject — 关于 almost always opens the sentence and doesn't attach a personal reaction this way.

Practice this pattern

Fill in the missing character:

＿于这个问题，我有一些想法。

Regarding this question, I have some thoughts.