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HOW TO USE に対して, について, に関して
You maybe already know how to use the particle に to express a target.
In this lesson we teach you more formal expressions, to help you enhance your Japanese speaking skills.
HOW TO USE に対して
The first one is に対して .
It is similar to the English words “toward” or “against”.
It is used to express targets of non-physical actions, emotions, and attitudes.
に and に対して are interchangeable in general.
PATTERN
Noun + に対して
| うちのクラスの先生は生徒に対して優しいです。 | Uchi no kurasu no sensei wa seito ni taishite yasashii desu. | My class teacher is kind towards students. |
| 年上の人に対して敬意を払わなければなりません。 | Toshiue no hito ni taishite keii wo harawanakereba narimasen. | We must show respect to people who are older than us. |
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| 彼の提案に対して意見を述べたいと思います。 | Kare no teian ni taishite iken wo nobetai to omoimasu. | I want to share my opinion against his suggestion. |
| お父さんは誰に対しても親切です。 | Otousan wa dare ni taishite mo shinsetsu desu. | My father is kind towards everyone. |
| 質問に対して答えを述べてください。 | Shitsumon ni taishite kotae wo nobete kudasai. | Please give your answer to the question. |
| あの人に対してとても怒っています。 | Ano hito ni taishite totemo okotteimasu. | I am very angry towards him. |
| たくさんの人たちが新しい政府に対して怒っています。 | Takusan no hito tachi ga atarashii seihu ni taishite okotte imasu. | So many people are angry with the new government. |
HOW TO USE について
The second expression is について , it is similar to the English word “about”.
について is used for targets of thoughts and speech, and may be used after nouns or noun phrases.
PATTERN
Noun + について
| 世界の問題について考えることは大切です。 | Sekai no mondai ni tsuite kangaeru koto wa taisetsu desu. | It is important to think about problems in the world. |
| 今日は学校で日本の歴史について勉強しました。 | Kyou wa gakkou de nihon no rekishi ni tsuite benkyou shimashita. | I studied about the history of Japan at school today. |
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| この問題についてあなたの意見を言ってください。 | Kono mondai ni tsuite anata no iken wo itte kudasai. | Please share your opinion about this problem. |
| あの人についてもっと知りたいです。 | Ano hito ni tsuite motto shiritai desu. | I want to know more about that person. |
| 今度の試験について何か知っていますか。 | Kondo no shiken ni tsuite nanika shitte imasuka. | Do you know anything about the next exam? |
| この本の内容について説明してください。 | Kono hon no naiyou ni tsuite setsumei shite kudasai. | Please explain about the content of this book. |
| 世界の異なる文化について学ぶと自分の見方が広がります。 | Sekai no kotonaru bunk ani tsuite manabu to jibun no mikata ga hirogarimasu. | Our viewpoint gets opened up if we study about different cultures in the world. |
HOW TO USE に関して
The third one we learn is に関して .
に関して and について are very similar, but に関して is slightly more formal than について.
So, it is equivalent to “concerning” or “regarding”.
PATTERN
Noun + に関して
| 私は大学でアメリカの文化と歴史に関して勉強しています。 | Watashi wa daigaku de amerika no bunka to rekishi nikanshite benkyou shiteimasu. | I am studying about America’s culture and history at the university. |
| この本の内容に関してレポートを提出する必要があります。 | Kono hon no naiyou nikanshite repooto wo teishutsu suru hitsuyou ga arimasu. | I have to submit the report regarding the content of this book. |
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| この薬に関して知っておくべきことはありますか？ | Kono kusuri nikanshite shitte okubekikoto wa arimasuka? | Is there anything I should know concerning this medicine? |
| 近所のあの人に関してあまりいい話は聞きません。 | Kinjo no ano hito nikanshite amari ii hanashi wa kikimasen. | I don’t hear good things regarding that neighbor. |
| この議題に関して質問させてください。 | Kono gidai nikanshite shitsumon sasete kudasai. | Let me ask you a question regarding this agenda. |
| 日本の政治に関してどう思いますか? | Nihon no seiji nikanshite dou omoimasu ka? | What do you think about Japanese politics? |
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FAQs
What is the difference between に対して, について, and に関して?
に対して expresses a direct target or contrast, often towards people or actions (e.g., criticism or attitude).
について means “about” or “regarding” and is used to discuss topics or subjects.
に関して is similar to について but is more formal and often used in written language or formal settings.
Can に対して and について be used interchangeably?
Not usually.
に対して focuses on a specific person or object being addressed or targeted, while について refers to a general topic of discussion.
Is に関して always more formal than について?
Yes, に関して is primarily used in formal or professional contexts, such as reports, presentations, or academic writing.
How do I choose between に対して and に関して when addressing people?
Use に対して when discussing attitudes, actions, or feelings directed towards someone (e.g., “He is kind towards others”).
に関して is not used to directly address individuals; it’s more suitable for formal topics.
Can these expressions be followed by verbs other than 言う or 話す?
Yes, they can. For example:
に対して: 感謝する (to express gratitude towards), 怒る (to be angry at).
について: 考える (to think about), 調べる (to investigate about).
に関して: 報告する (to report about), 言及する (to refer to).
Can I learn Japanese in Japan with LTL?
Absolutely! We offer group and individual classes in Tokyo.
If you’d prefer to learn Japanese from the comfort of your home, you should have a look at our online lessons on Flexi Classes (we even have a 7 day free trial!)