HSKReadyGet the appUsing 对……来说 to Express Perspective in Chinese (HSK 3)
The fixed expression 对……来说 (duì... lái shuō) introduces the person or group from whose standpoint an evaluation or judgment is true, corresponding closely to 'for someone' or 'from someone's perspective' in English.
对我来说，学习汉字很有意思。
Sentence-initial position establishing personal perspective before a verb-phrase topic.
× 老师对大家来说今天不考试。
Incorrect: 对……来说 cannot be used for the physical act of speaking to someone. Replace it with 对……说 as shown in the corrected sentence.
Corrected example: 老师对大家说今天不考试。
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Meaning and Syllabus Scope
In the official HSK syllabus, 对……来说 is listed at Level 3 under the category of fixed expressions (固定格式).
When you make a statement in Chinese such as 'this question is hard' or 'time is money', the statement might not be universally true for everyone. The frame 对……来说 narrows the scope of that claim. It marks the specific person, group, or organization from whose standpoint the evaluation holds true. In English, it usually translates to 'for [someone]', 'to [someone]', or 'from [someone]'s perspective'.
对我来说，学习汉字很有意思。
Sentence-initial position establishing personal perspective before a verb-phrase topic.
Sentence Positions and Fixed Elements
In this construction, the preposition 对 at the beginning and the closing word 来说 are fixed markers that wrap around the perspective holder. You can place the entire 对……来说 phrase in two standard positions depending on what you want to emphasize.
Putting 对……来说 at the very beginning of the sentence sets the perspective first, often followed by a pause or comma. This order works well when contrasting one group's experience with another's, or when establishing the frame of reference before introducing the topic.
对一家小公司来说，时间就是钱。
Shows that an organization or group can fill the perspective-holder slot.
Alternatively, you can state the topic first and place 对……来说 immediately before the evaluative predicate. This is very common when the topic is already the focus of conversation and you want to specify how that topic feels or applies to someone.
这个问题对三年级的学生来说太难了。
Topic-first position where 对……来说 appears between the topic and the adjective predicate.
What Fills Each Slot and When to Use It
Because 对……来说 expresses how a situation is experienced or judged, not every noun or verb can fit into its slots. Keep these three rules in mind when building sentences:
- The reference is often a person or group, but need not be conscious: 对这套系统来说，这样的数据量太大了 evaluates a data load relative to a system. Choose a meaningful relation between the reference and the claim, rather than a person-only rule.
- Topic: The topic being evaluated can be a concrete noun, an abstract noun, or a verb phrase acting as an activity (such as learning characters or running every morning).
- The clause should make clear why the claim is relevant to that reference: difficulty, value, a condition or an event's implications are common. Do not reject a sentence solely because its predicate includes an action verb. The fixed frame itself does not mean that someone speaks to the reference holder.
每天早上跑步对他来说已经是一种习惯了。
Uses a verb-phrase topic followed by 对……来说 and a state-identifying predicate with 是.
In terms of register, 对……来说 is neutral and versatile. You can use it naturally in everyday conversation as well as in written essays or workplace discussions whenever you want to soften an absolute claim or clarify whose viewpoint you are describing.
Important Contrasts and Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse the fixed perspective frame 对……来说 with the literal verb phrase 对……说 (to say to someone). Remember that 对……来说 never introduces spoken words or direct announcements. If someone is actually speaking to an audience, use 对……说 (or 跟……说) without 来.
× 老师对大家来说今天不考试。
Incorrect: 对……来说 cannot be used for the physical act of speaking to someone. Replace it with 对……说 as shown in the corrected sentence.
Corrected example: 老师对大家说今天不考试。
老师对大家说今天不考试。
Correct replacement using the preposition 对 plus the verb 说 for speaking to an audience.
Bare 对 can mark a target, relation or effect, while 对……来说 explicitly frames a reference for the statement. Their meanings can overlap: 中文对我很重要 and 中文对我来说很重要 both express relative importance. In 对身体好, bare 对 naturally marks the body as the target of a benefit. Do not equate bare 对 with objectively verified fact.
早睡早起对身体很好。
Contrast example: bare 对 expresses direct benefit to one's health/body rather than a cognitive viewpoint.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a comma after 对……来说?
When 对……来说 is placed at the beginning of a sentence before the topic, it is normally followed by a comma in writing and a slight pause in speech. When it is placed after the topic right before the predicate, no comma is used.
Can I put an inanimate object inside 对……来说?
Yes, if the thing supplies a meaningful reference, as in 对这套系统来说，这样的数据量太大了. People and groups are common, but consciousness is not a grammatical requirement. For a simple physical benefit, bare 对 is often more direct, as in 对身体好.
Can I always drop 来说 and just keep 对?
Sometimes, but not mechanically. 中文对我很重要 and 中文对我来说很重要 can communicate the same assessment, with the fuller form making the reference frame more explicit. In other sentences, omission affects word order or interpretation. Check the complete sentence rather than assuming that bare 对 always changes the meaning to physical impact.
