How to use 跟；对
跟 / 对 + person + suitable predicate
跟 and 对 can both identify the person being spoken to, so their use with 说 sometimes overlaps. Elsewhere, they frame different relationships. 跟 commonly connects participants in an interaction, accompaniment, or comparison, while 对 directs an action, attitude, or evaluation toward a target. Translating both as to or with can hide this difference.
Check the full predicate before choosing the preposition. 跟 appears in comparison patterns with 一样 and can also join nouns or indicate companionship. 对 is natural when describing how someone treats or feels about another person. Some verbs allow both with a shift in viewpoint, but the words are not general substitutes across all of their grammatical roles.
Examples with pinyin and English
我跟她说了，但是她不信。
I told her, but she didn't believe me.
我对她说了，但是她不信。
I told her, but she didn't believe me.
你要跟我一起去吗？
Are you going to go with me?
不要对老板发脾气， 不然后果很严重。
Don't lose your temper with the boss, otherwise there will be serious consequences.
What to remember
- Use 跟 for accompaniment, interaction, and comparison.
- Use 对 for a directed attitude or treatment.
- Check the verb rather than relying on English prepositions.
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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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