4 · Expressions (level 4)
About and regarding: guānyú and duìyú
a topic and the target of an attitude
Guānyú names the subject matter something is about; duìyú names what an attitude or a treatment is aimed at.
关于 means “about, concerning” and names a topic. Most often it stands with 的 before a noun: 关于中国历史的书, “a book about Chinese history”. The English order is turned round: the about-phrase comes first, the book last. As an adverbial, a 关于 phrase opens the sentence and sets its topic: 关于这个问题，我们明天再讨论.
对于 means “towards, with regard to” and marks what an opinion, a feeling or a treatment is directed at: 对于这个决定，大家都很满意. It can stand before the subject or right after it. In nearly every place where 对于 fits, plain 对 fits too — but not the other way round: 他对我很好, “he is good to me”, cannot take 对于.
A quick test: if “on the subject of” fits, use 关于; if “towards” fits, use 对于. A 关于 phrase used as an adverbial must come before the subject — 我们关于… is wrong — while 对于 may follow it: 我对于这件事没有意见.
English speakers reach for 关于 wherever English has “about”: talk about, think about, worry about. Chinese verbs usually take their object directly — 我们谈了这个问题, 别担心我. 关于 sets a topic; it is not a link between a verb and its object.
The form
| a book about … | 关于历史的书 |
| a topic at the start | 关于这件事，… |
| the target of an attitude | 对于这个结果，… |
| after the subject: only duìyú | 我对于这件事没有意见。 |
| the everyday form of duìyú | 他对音乐很感兴趣。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Guānyú, a noun and de come before the noun they describe: “a … about …”.
我在看一本关于茶的书。I am reading a book about tea.
As an adverbial, a guānyú phrase opens the sentence, before the subject.
关于放假的安排，老师明天会告诉大家。As for the holiday arrangements, the teacher will tell everyone tomorrow.
Duìyú marks what an opinion, an attitude or a treatment is directed at; it may stand before or after the subject.
大家对于新规定有不同的看法。People have different views on the new rule.
Where duì means “to” or “towards a person”, duìyú cannot replace it.
老师对学生很耐心。The teacher is very patient with the students.
A closer look
Why guānyú stands in front
A Chinese sentence often begins with its topic and then comments on it. 关于 is a way of announcing that topic explicitly: “on the matter of …, here is what I have to say”. That is why it belongs at the very front, and why it cannot hang off a verb the way English “about” does.
The same logic shows in headings. Official notices, reports and the titles of many books begin with 关于 and end with a noun: 关于春节放假的通知, “notice concerning the Spring Festival holiday”. Read such a heading from the end: first what kind of document it is, then what it is about.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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a sentence says what something is about with 是
是关于…的 puts guānyú after the verb.
这部电影是关于什么的？What is this film about?
The guānyú phrase is a 的 phrase with its noun left out — “a book that is an about-something one” — so it stands where any noun after 是 would.
How to spot it
- 关于
- 关于…的
- 对于
- 对
Example sentences
他写了一篇关于上海的文章。He wrote an article about Shanghai.
关于这个问题，我还想问一下。On this point, I would like to ask one more thing.
对于这次的结果，我们都很满意。We are all very satisfied with this result.
他对于别人的批评总是很冷静。He always stays calm about other people’s criticism.
网上有很多关于健康饮食的视频。There are lots of videos online about healthy eating.
对于新员工，公司会安排一个月的培训。For new employees, the company arranges a month of training.
8 more example sentences
这是一个关于友谊的故事。This is a story about friendship.
关于明天的会议，你有什么问题吗？Do you have any questions about tomorrow’s meeting?
大家对于这个计划还有些担心。People still have some worries about this plan.
对于迟到的同学，老师没有说什么。The teacher said nothing about the students who came late.
我对这方面的知识了解得不多。I do not know much about this field.
他给我看了几张关于这座城市的老照片。He showed me a few old photos of this city.
对于这样的要求，我们只能说不。To a request like this, we can only say no.
关于那件事，他一个字也没说。About that matter, he did not say a single word.
Worth knowing (1)
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Headings and notices
A notice on a door or a message from an office often has a heading of the form 关于…的通知. The whole heading is one long noun phrase, and the word that says what the document is — notice, report, decision — comes last.
关于调整上班时间的通知Notice concerning the change of working hours
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
“Discuss” takes its object directly in Chinese, as it does in English: 讨论这个问题. 关于 cannot sit between a verb and its object. Either put it at the start as a topic, or build a noun with it: 关于这个问题的讨论.
Guānyú says what something is about and goes in front; duìyú says what an attitude is aimed at.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.