How to Use 对 (duì) with Verbs: “To,” “At” and “About”
对 (duì) marks the target an action or feeling is aimed at: Subject + 对 + Target + Verb / Adjective. With a person it's “to / at” (宝宝对我笑, “the baby smiles at me”; 对父母说话, “talk to your parents”). With a thing it's “in / about / with” for psychological verbs that can't take a bare object: 对…感兴趣 (“interested in”), 对…满意 (“satisfied with”), 对…负责 (“responsible for”). Either way, 对 + the target comes before the verb.
Why this trips learners up
对 (duì) is a preposition that marks the target an action or feeling is aimed at. The frame is Subject + 对 + Target + Verb / Adjective, and it has two related senses. The first is aimed at a person, English “to / at”: 宝宝对我笑了 (“the baby smiled at me”), 你不应该这样对父母说话 (“you shouldn't talk to your parents like this”), 他总是对老师撒谎 (“he always lies to his teacher”), 别对孩子发脾气 (“don't lose your temper at the kid”). Note the verbs are limited, attitude and communication verbs (笑, 说话, 撒谎, 发脾气), not just any verb.
The second sense is a feeling about a thing, English “in / about / with / for.” This shows up with psychological verbs and adjectives, and here 对 is doing essential work: these words can't take a bare object, so 对 is what lets you add one. 我儿子对学外语很感兴趣 (“my son is very interested in learning languages”), 老板对你的工作不太满意 (“the boss isn't very satisfied with your work”), 观众对结果非常失望 (“the audience is very disappointed with the result”). A short list worth memorising: 对…感兴趣 (“interested in”), 对…满意 (“satisfied with”), 对…失望 (“disappointed with”), 对…好奇 (“curious about”), 对…负责 (“responsible for”).
The trap for English speakers is that 对 doesn't line up with one English preposition, it stands in for “to,” “at,” “in,” “about,” “with” and “for,” depending on the verb. The fix is to learn the verb and its 对 together as a unit (“对…感兴趣 = interested in”), rather than translating the English preposition. And in every case, 对 + the target sits before the verb or adjective, never trailing at the end as “interested in it” does in English.
Keep 对 apart from its cousin 向. 向 sends words or motion toward a person (向他道歉, “apologize to him”; 向他学习, “learn from him”), while 对 marks the target of an attitude or feeling, and crucially, a feeling about a thing always takes 对, never 向: it's 对这个问题感兴趣, not 向这个问题感兴趣. (One more 对 pattern, the perspective-marker 对…来说, “for / to someone,” lives on its own 来说 page.)
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
bǎobao 宝宝 Subject duì 对 Pattern wǒ 我 Object xiào 笑 Verb le 了 Function word
The baby smiled at me (对 + person, an action aimed at someone).
bié 别 Negation duì 对 Pattern háizi 孩子 Object fā píqi 发脾气 Verb
Don't lose your temper at the child (对孩子, a limited attitude verb).
nǐ 你 Subject bù 不 Negation yīnggāi 应该 Function word zhèyàng 这样 Adverb duì 对 Pattern fùmǔ 父母 Object shuōhuà 说话 Verb
You shouldn't talk to your parents like this (对父母说话).
wǒ érzi 我儿子 Subject duì 对 Pattern xué wàiyǔ 学外语 Object hěn 很 Adverb gǎn xìngqù 感兴趣 Verb
My son is very interested in learning foreign languages (对…感兴趣, a feeling about a thing).
tā 他 Subject zǒngshì 总是 Adverb duì 对 Pattern lǎoshī 老师 Object sāhuǎng 撒谎 Verb
He always lies to his teacher (对老师撒谎).
lǎobǎn 老板 Subject duì 对 Pattern nǐ de gōngzuò 你的工作 Object bù tài 不太 Adverb mǎnyì 满意 Adjective
The boss isn't very satisfied with your work (对…满意).
wǒ nǚ’ér 我女儿 Subject duì 对 Pattern suǒyǒu dòngwù 所有动物 Object dōu hěn 都很 Adverb hàoqí 好奇 Adjective
My little daughter is curious about all animals (对…好奇).
guānzhòng 观众 Subject duì 对 Pattern bǐsài de jiéguǒ 比赛的结果 Object fēicháng 非常 Adverb shīwàng 失望 Adjective
The audience is very disappointed with the result (对…失望).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: Psychological verbs like 感兴趣 can't take a bare object, so you need 对 to attach it. “I'm very interested in Chinese” is 我对中文很感兴趣, not 我很感兴趣中文. The same goes for 满意, 失望, 好奇, 负责: put 对 + the thing before the verb.
Why it happens: 对 + the target comes before the verb or adjective, not after it like English “smile at me.” “The baby smiles at me” is 宝宝对我笑, not 宝宝笑对我. Put 对 + the person first, then the verb.
Why it happens: A feeling about something takes 对, not 向. “I'm interested in this question” is 我对这个问题感兴趣, not 我向这个问题感兴趣. 向 sends words or motion at a person (向他道歉); attitudes and feelings about things use 对.
Compare & contrast
| 对 + person: an action aimed at someone | 对 + thing: a feeling about something | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 宝宝对我笑bǎobao duì wǒ xiào = “the baby smiles at me” (at a person) | 我对历史感兴趣wǒ duì lìshǐ gǎn xìngqù = “I’m interested in history” (about a thing) | 宝宝对我笑 = “the baby smiles at me,” 对 + a person with an attitude verb (“to / at”). 我对历史感兴趣 = “I'm interested in history,” 对 + a thing with a psychological verb (“in / about”). Same 对, two senses. |
| 他对老师撒谎tā duì lǎoshī sāhuǎng = “he lies to the teacher” | 观众对结果失望guānzhòng duì jiéguǒ shīwàng = “the audience is disappointed with the result” | 他对老师撒谎 = “he lies to the teacher” (an action aimed at a person). 观众对结果失望 = “the audience is disappointed with the result” (a feeling about a thing). With a person it's “to / at”; with a thing it's “in / about / with.” |
Try it yourself
Say “I'm very interested in Chinese.” Remember 感兴趣 needs 对 to attach its object.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Use 对 (duì) with Verbs: “To,” “At” and “About” grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.