# HSK 4 Grammar: Prepositions 对于 (duìyú) and 与 (yǔ) for Introducing Objects | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4-prepositions-a7bbe7bffc Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-4-prepositions-a7bbe7bffc HSK levels: 4 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:47.758Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the Chinese prepositions 对于 and 与 to introduce target and related objects in HSK 4 grammar, with clear structures, examples, and contrasts. Grammar [HSK 4 · Word classes › Prepositions › Introducing a target](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4#hsk-4-g017) # HSK 4 Prepositions Introducing Objects: 对于 and 与 The HSK 4 outline groups 对于 and 与1 under prepositions introducing a target or related party. 对于 frames what a statement or attitude concerns; 与 introduces a participant or counterpart in an interaction, comparison or relationship. The choice depends on that relationship, not just on the verb appearing later in the sentence. 对于 Target Object ， Subject Predicate Example sentence 对于这项新规定，大家有不同的看法。 Duìyú zhè xiàng xīn guīdìng, dàjiā yǒu bùtóng de kànfǎ. People have differing views on this new regulation. 对于 stands at the beginning of the sentence to frame the issue being evaluated. A common mistake × 经理对于我说了这件事。 Jīnglǐ duìyú wǒ shuō le zhè jiàn shì. Intended: The manager spoke to me about this matter. For the intended meaning, 我 is the person being spoken to. Use 对我说 or 跟我说. 对于 would instead frame a topic and does not introduce that direct addressee here. Corrected example: 经理对我说了这件事。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What Does "Introducing an Object" Mean? Prepositions combine with a noun phrase to express a relationship. The supplied Level 4 outline lists 对于 and 与1 under 引出对象, “introducing a target or related party.” Such phrases often modify a predicate, but they may also occur inside a larger noun phrase, as in 公司对于产品质量的要求. Here, "object" does not mean the direct object that follows a transitive verb. Instead, it refers to the semantic target, recipient of an attitude, or related counterpart that the statement concerns. Although both words fulfill this broad grammatical role, they are not interchangeable. Choosing between them depends on whether you are framing a topic of evaluation (对于) or linking two entities in an interaction or relationship (与). ## Using 对于 to Introduce a Target of Attitude or Scope 对于 roughly translates to "regarding," "as for," or "toward." It introduces the person, issue, or thing toward which a subject holds an opinion, attitude, feeling, or requirement. Because it highlights the topic under consideration, a 对于 phrase often appears at the very beginning of a sentence, set off by a comma, or immediately after the subject. 对于 Target Object ， Subject Predicate 对于这项新规定，大家有不同的看法。 Duìyú zhè xiàng xīn guīdìng, dàjiā yǒu bùtóng de kànfǎ. People have differing views on this new regulation. 对于 stands at the beginning of the sentence to frame the issue being evaluated. Subject 对于 Target Object Predicate 公司对于产品质量的要求非常严格。 Gōngsī duìyú chǎnpǐn zhìliàng de yāoqiú fēicháng yángé. The company's requirements regarding product quality are very strict. The whole phrase 公司对于产品质量的要求 is the subject: “the company’s requirements regarding product quality.” 对于产品质量 helps modify 要求; 公司 alone is not the full subject of this sentence. In the second example, 公司对于产品质量的要求 is one noun phrase, followed by the predicate 非常严格. This differs from 我对于这件事有自己的看法, where 我 is the subject and 对于这件事 belongs to the predicate. 对于 can also pair with 来说 or 而言 to frame whose situation or perspective is being discussed. 对于初学者来说，汉字确实不容易写。 Duìyú chūxuézhě lái shuō, Hànzì quèshí bù róngyì xiě. For beginners, Chinese characters are indeed not easy to write. 对于……来说 frames the specific group for whom the statement holds true. ## Using 与 (Sense 1) to Introduce a Related Party or Counterpart The outline marks the prepositional use as 与1; this label does not establish a universal dictionary sense number. Here 与 introduces a partner or counterpart in cooperation, communication, comparison or a relationship. It is often more formal than 跟 or 和. The conjunction use, meaning “and,” is a related but different construction. Subject 与 Related Object Predicate 这件事与你没有关系。 Zhè jiàn shì yǔ nǐ méiyǒu guānxi. This matter has nothing to do with you. 与 introduces the party related (or unrelated) to the subject in the common pattern 与……有/没有关系. 我们希望能与贵公司继续合作。 Wǒmen xīwàng néng yǔ guì gōngsī jìxù hézuò. We hope to be able to continue cooperating with your company. 与 follows the modal verb 能 and introduces the partner in the reciprocal action 合作. A useful basic frame is Subject + 与 + counterpart + predicate. In 我们希望能与贵公司继续合作, 与 follows 能. This is not a ban on other positions: 与他交流，我学到了很多 puts the interaction first as a frame, and 与去年相比，今年的情况更好 puts the comparison first. Position depends on the construction and intended scope. ## Key Contrasts: 对于 vs. 与 Even though both prepositions introduce an object before the verb, they pair with different types of predicates and express different relationships: - Semantic role: 对于 marks the target of a mental state, judgment, or general applicability ("regarding X"). 与 marks a co-participant, partner, or point of reference in a connection or interaction ("with X"). - Typical predicates: 对于 commonly precedes words of cognition, attitude, or evaluation (了解, 满意, 重视, 有看法, 很重要). 与 commonly precedes verbs or nouns of interaction, relation, or comparison (合作, 联系, 商量, 有关, 有关系, 相同, 不同). - Sentence position: 对于 often frames a topic before the subject or appears within the predicate. 与 commonly introduces a counterpart before a relational verb; an interaction or comparison phrase can also be placed first when it frames the clause. - Register: Both words lean somewhat formal or written compared to everyday spoken alternatives, though 对于 is very common in standard discussion, while prepositional 与 is noticeably more formal than 跟 or 和. ## Important Limits and a Common Learner Mistake 对 and 对于 overlap when introducing the target of an attitude or judgment, but they are not interchangeable in every construction. For “speak to me,” 我 is the addressee, so use 对我说 or 跟我说. A topic such as 对于这个问题 can still occur in a sentence about speaking: 对于这个问题，经理说了几句. × 经理对于我说了这件事。 Jīnglǐ duìyú wǒ shuō le zhè jiàn shì. Intended: The manager spoke to me about this matter. For the intended meaning, 我 is the person being spoken to. Use 对我说 or 跟我说. 对于 would instead frame a topic and does not introduce that direct addressee here. Corrected example: 经理对我说了这件事。 经理对我说了这件事。 Jīnglǐ duì wǒ shuō le zhè jiàn shì. The manager spoke to me about this matter. Correct replacement: 对 introduces the person toward whom the action of speaking is directed. Ask what the following noun phrase means. If it is the person being spoken to or waved at, choose an appropriate addressee or direction phrase, such as 对他说 or 向他招手. If it is what the discussion concerns, 对于 may be suitable. The mere presence of 说、笑 or another concrete verb is not enough to rule 对于 out. Syllabus note: The HSK 4 classification of 对于 and 与1 comes from the supplied 2025-11 edition outline (marked for 2026-07 implementation). Because test centers may administer different exam versions during transition periods, check the official requirements for your specific booked examination. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I always replace 对 with 对于?** No. 对于这个问题，我有不同看法 and 对这个问题，我有不同看法 both frame an opinion. But “speak to him” uses 对他说, not 对于他说. This does not ban 对于 from a sentence containing 说: 对于这个问题，他说了很多 uses it to introduce the topic, not the addressee. **How do I know if 与 is a preposition or a conjunction?** Read the function in context. In A与B合作, 与 introduces a cooperating partner. In the noun phrase 传统与现代, it coordinates two items meaning “tradition and modernity.” Word-order swapping alone is not a reliable test: reciprocal cooperation may also allow the participants to swap while keeping a natural sentence. **Can a prepositional phrase with 与 go at the start of a sentence like 对于?** Yes, when the phrase frames the following statement. 与去年相比，今年的情况更好 introduces a comparison; 与他交流，我学到了很多 introduces the interaction in which the speaker learned. Subject + 与 + counterpart + predicate remains a useful basic model, not a universal position rule. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 395](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=395) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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