How to use 对
Subj. + 对 + Person + Verb
对 places a target before a verb or expression describing a directed action, attitude, or feeling. With actions such as smiling or speaking, the target is often a person. With interest, satisfaction, curiosity, or responsibility, the target may instead be a subject, result, or task. The entire 对 phrase precedes the relevant predicate.
The verbs that combine naturally with 对 form a limited set, so learn the preposition alongside each expression. An English phrase using “to,” “at,” “in,” or “with” does not predict the Chinese choice reliably. 对…来说 uses the same target idea to introduce a perspective, but it has its own complete frame and should be recognized separately.
Examples with pinyin and English
宝宝对我笑了。
The baby smiled at me.
小狗在对你叫。
The dog is barking at you.
你不应该这样对父母说话。
You shouldn't talk to your parents this way.
他总是对老师撒谎。
He always lies to his teachers.
What to remember
- Put 对 + Target before the predicate.
- Learn 对 together with compatible expressions.
- Targets can be people, things, or activities.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
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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.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.