How to use 彼此；对方
彼此 + verb; verb + 彼此 / 对方; 彼此 / 对方 + 的 + noun
彼此 emphasizes a reciprocal relationship between participants: an action goes both ways or applies mutually among them. It can appear before a verb with a function similar to mutually, or act as an object meaning each other. 对方 identifies the other person or side in an interaction. Reciprocity may be inferred when several people are addressed, but it is not the word's basic meaning.
Both can occur after a suitable verb or before a noun with 的. Before a verb, distinguish reciprocal 彼此 from 对方 serving as the subject meaning the other party. A simple substitution can therefore change the grammatical role as well as the meaning. Keep clear who acts and toward whom in each construction.
Examples with pinyin and English
结婚以前夫妻应该多花时间彼此了解。
Before they get married, the bride and groom should spend more time getting to know each other.
你们两个应该原谅对方。
You two should forgive each other.
丽丽和小明一点也不尊重对方，所以他们经常吵架。
Lili and Xiao Ming did not respect each other at all, so they fought a lot.
What to remember
- Use 彼此 to emphasize mutual participation.
- Use 对方 for the other party in an interaction.
- Check whether a pre-verbal phrase is reciprocal or a subject.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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