4 · Expressions (level 4)
As far as … is concerned: duì … lái shuō
the point-of-view frame
Duì, a person or group, then lái shuō — the frame that says whose point of view a judgement holds for.
The frame 对 + person + 来说 limits a judgement to one person or one group: 对我来说，汉字很难, “for me, characters are hard”. It does not say that characters are hard in general — only that they are hard from where I stand. Whatever stands between 对 and 来说 is the point of view: a person, a group (对年轻人来说), or even an organisation or a place.
English “for me” covers two different ideas, and Chinese keeps them apart. “I bought it for you” is about who benefits, and Chinese says 给你 or 为你. “For me, this is too expensive” is about whose view counts, and that is 对我来说. The most common mistake is to open the frame with 为 because English uses “for” in both.
What follows the frame is a judgement — an adjective, 是 + noun, 很重要, 不容易 — not a plain action. “For me, I go to the shop” makes as little sense in Chinese as in English. The frame usually opens the sentence and is followed by a comma, but it can also stand right after the subject: 这件事对他来说很重要.
Two variants say the same thing in a more formal tone: 对于…来说, and in writing 对…而言. What the frame does not do in careful speech or writing is move to the end of the sentence, where English likes to put “for me”.
The form
| the frame at the start | 对我来说，汉字很难。 |
| after the subject | 这件事对他来说很重要。 |
| a group of people | 对年轻人来说，… |
| more formal | 对于学生来说，… |
| written | 对公司而言，… |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The frame is duì, a person or group, then lái shuō; it usually opens the sentence and is followed by a comma.
对我来说，健康比钱重要。For me, health matters more than money.
What follows is a judgement or an assessment, not a plain action.
对孩子来说，这本书太难了。This book is too difficult for children.
The frame can also stand right after the subject, but not at the end of the sentence.
这个消息对她来说太突然了。This news came too suddenly for her.
In writing, duì … éryán says the same thing.
对中小企业而言，成本是最大的压力。For small and medium-sized firms, costs are the greatest pressure.
A closer look
For me, in my view, take … for example
Two frames look like this one and mean something else. 在我看来, “in my view”, gives an opinion: the speaker judges something from the outside. 对我来说 says how something is for the speaker, who is affected by it. 对我来说，这本书太难 means I struggle with the book; 在我看来，这本书太难 means I think it is too hard — perhaps for my students.
拿…来说 shares the ending and means “take … for example”: 拿我来说，我每天走路上班, “take me: I walk to work every day”. It introduces a case, not a point of view, so it can be followed by a plain action.
How to spot it
- 对…来说
- 对于…来说
- 对…而言
Example sentences
对我来说，说比写容易。For me, speaking is easier than writing.
对老年人来说，用手机付钱有时候不太方便。For older people, paying by phone is sometimes not very convenient.
这次考试对他来说非常重要。This exam is very important for him.
对刚来的人来说，这里的冬天太冷了。For people who have just arrived, the winters here are too cold.
对我们家来说，周末一起吃饭是一件大事。For our family, eating together at the weekend is a big thing.
对公司而言，客户的信任比什么都重要。For the company, the customers’ trust matters more than anything.
8 more example sentences
对外国人来说，声调是最难的部分。For foreigners, the tones are the hardest part.
这点钱对他来说不算什么。This bit of money is nothing to him.
对学中文的人来说，多听很有帮助。For people learning Chinese, listening a lot helps a great deal.
对小孩子来说，这段路有点儿远。For small children, this stretch of road is a bit far.
对我来说，早上六点起床一点儿也不难。For me, getting up at six in the morning is not hard at all.
对于初学者来说，这本词典太厚了。For beginners, this dictionary is too thick.
搬家对一个家庭来说是件大事。Moving house is a big event for a family.
对很多人而言，房子是一辈子最大的开销。For many people, a home is the biggest expense of their lives.
Worth knowing (1)
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Where English puts “for me”
English happily ends a sentence with “for me”: “this is too hard for me”. Chinese puts the frame before the judgement, either at the start or right after the subject. Tagged on at the end, as in 这道题太难了，对我来说, it sounds like an afterthought spoken on a second breath, and careful writing avoids it.
这道题对我来说太难了。This question is too hard for me.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English uses “for” both for who benefits and for whose view counts. 为 is the first kind — “for the sake of” — and cannot open this frame. The point-of-view frame always begins with 对.
Duì … lái shuō says whose point of view a judgement holds for — and a judgement has to follow.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.