对于 and 关于: towards something, or about it
对于 points at the thing an attitude, judgement or action is directed at. 关于 names a topic — what a book, talk or question is about. Only 对于 (or 对) fits 对…来说 and a position after the subject.
结构
对于 + 对象，主语 + 态度／看法 ｜ 关于 + 话题 + 的 + 名词 ｜ 关于 + 话题，…
讲解
本文中的中文词语都可以激活，查看词典释义。
， “On this question, people’s views differ.” “I bought a book about Chinese history.” Both words translate as “about” or “regarding”, and the HSK 4 paper regularly offers them side by side, so the difference has to be clear.
introduces a topic. Its most typical use is as a modifier with in front of a noun that has content: , , . It can also open a sentence to announce what is going to be discussed: ，. It cannot follow the subject.
introduces a target — the thing someone has an attitude to, a judgement about, or does something to. ，. . Unlike , can stand after the subject, and the shorter is even more common there: . is also the word in the fixed frame … “for (someone)”: ，.
A quick test: if the sentence names a text or talk and what it is about, use . If it expresses a feeling, view or effect towards something, use or .
正确
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
对于这个问题，大家的看法不一样。對於這個問題，大家的看法不一樣。
Duìyú (fourth tone, falling) zhège (fourth tone, falling) wèntí, (fourth tone, falling) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) kànfǎ (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) yíyàng. (second tone, rising)···
On this question, people’s views differ.
我买了一本关于中国历史的书。我買了一本關於中國歷史的書。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) mǎile (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) běn (third tone, dipping) guānyú (first tone, high and level) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) lìshǐ (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shū. (first tone, high and level)···
I bought a book about Chinese history.
对于学生来说，最重要的是学习。對於學生來說，最重要的是學習。
Duìyú (fourth tone, falling) xuésheng (second tone, rising) lái (second tone, rising) shuō, (first tone, high and level) zuì (fourth tone, falling) zhòngyào (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) xuéxí. (second tone, rising)···
For students, the most important thing is studying.
错误 — 常见错误
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 这是一本对于中国历史的书。
正确
Correct sentence: 这是一本关于中国历史的书。
为什么: A book’s subject matter is a topic, so it takes 关于.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 关于我来说，这个工作太难了。
正确
Correct sentence: 对于我来说，这个工作太难了。
为什么: The fixed frame for “as far as someone is concerned” is 对（于）…来说; 关于 never enters it.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 他关于这件事很关心。
正确
Correct sentence: 他对这件事很关心。
为什么: 关于 cannot follow the subject, and caring is an attitude towards something, which takes 对 or 对于.
对比
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
When 关于 describes a noun, the whole phrase is a modifier and behaves like any other modifier before 的: 关于中国历史的书, just as 我昨天买的书. The 的 is obligatory — 一本关于中国历史书 is wrong. 对于 can also build a modifier, but only with nouns of attitude or opinion: 对于这个问题的看法. If the head noun is a book, article, film or notice, the modifier is built with 关于.
Relative clauses with 的: the book I bought yesterday →小测验
第 1 题 / 3总分: 0
Choose the word that completes 我昨天看了一个___环境保护的节目。