đối với vs về — Regarding (Two Prepositions)

Quick Answer

In Vietnamese, both đối với and về can be translated as 'regarding' or 'about,' but they serve distinct purposes. Đối với typically highlights a relationship, impact, or perspective concerning a specific person or thing, often conveying 'for,' 'to,' or 'in relation to.' In contrast, về introduces the general topic or subject matter being discussed, thought about, or informed about, translating simply as 'about' or 'concerning.'

Comparison Table

Detailed Explanation

Understanding the nuance between đối với and về is crucial for expressing precise meaning in Vietnamese. While both touch upon the idea of 'concerning' or 'regarding,' their applications differ based on whether you are emphasizing a relationship or simply introducing a topic.

When to use đối với:

• Đối với is used to emphasize the relevance, impact, or perspective on a particular entity (person or thing). It indicates how something stands in relation to or for someone/something.

• Think of it as indicating "in the eyes of," "from the perspective of," or "directed towards."

• Commonly found with adjectives expressing difficulty, importance, benefit, or harm (e.g., quan trọng đối với - important to, khó đối với - difficult for).

• It also introduces the target of an attitude or responsibility (e.g., thái độ đối với - attitude towards, trách nhiệm đối với - responsibility towards).

• The Hán-Việt component đối (對) directly means "to," "towards," or "opposite," reinforcing this directional or relational sense.

When to use về:

• Về is a more general preposition used to introduce the topic, subject, or content of a discussion, thought, piece of information, or action. It simply means 'about,' 'concerning,' or 'regarding' a subject matter.

• It acts as a neutral indicator of what the preceding verb or noun is focused on, without necessarily implying a direct impact, personal relationship, or specific perspective.

• Frequently used with verbs of communication or cognition (e.g., nói về - talk about, viết về - write about, suy nghĩ về - think about, thông tin về - information about).

• It can introduce the subject of books, films, articles, or reports.

Example Pairs

Common Patterns

• Opinion/Feeling/Impact: When expressing how something is to someone or impacts something, the pattern is often "X is [adjective] đối với Y" (e.g., rất quan trọng đối với - very important to, khó đối với - difficult for, tốt đối với - good for).

• Attitude/Responsibility: To indicate an attitude or responsibility directed towards something or someone, use "Thái độ/Trách nhiệm đối với..." (e.g., thái độ đối với môi trường - attitude towards the environment, trách nhiệm đối với khách hàng - responsibility towards customers).

• Topic/Subject of Communication/Thought: For simply stating what is being discussed, written, thought about, or informed, use verbs followed by về (e.g., nói về - talk about, viết về - write about, suy nghĩ về - think about, thông tin về - information about).

• Content Description: To describe the subject matter or content of a noun, such as a book, film, or report, use the noun followed by về (e.g., sách về lịch sử - book about history, phim về chiến tranh - film about war).

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1 — Confusing impact with topic

Using về when expressing a direct impact or relationship, where đối với is more appropriate.

❌ Sức khỏe rất quan trọng về tôi.

✅ Sức khỏe rất quan trọng đối với tôi.

Why it's wrong and how to fix it: Về implies "about" or "concerning" a topic. Health isn't just "about" me; it is important to me. Đối với correctly conveys this personal relevance and impact.

Mistake 2 — Using đối với for general topics

Using đối với when simply introducing a topic of discussion or information, where về is the natural choice.

❌ Chúng ta sẽ nói chuyện đối với dự án mới.

✅ Chúng ta sẽ nói chuyện về dự án mới.

Why it's wrong and how to fix it: Đối với suggests an attitude or impact towards the project. When simply stating what you'll talk "about," về is the correct and natural preposition.

Mistake 3 — Incorrectly stating feelings or direct sentiments

Applying về to express feelings or direct emotional targets, instead of the relational đối với.

❌ Anh ấy có tình cảm về cô ấy.

✅ Anh ấy có tình cảm đối với cô ấy.

Why it's wrong and how to fix it: Feelings are directed towards someone or something. Đối với correctly captures this directed sentiment. "Về cô ấy" would mean "about her," implying the feelings are about her existence, not for her.

Mistake 4 — Overgeneralizing đối với for 'regarding'

Thinking đối với is a universal equivalent for "regarding" and using it in contexts where "regarding a topic" is meant.

❌ Tôi có một câu hỏi đối với vấn đề này.

✅ Tôi có một câu hỏi về vấn đề này.

Why it's wrong and how to fix it: While đối với can sometimes mean "concerning," it's usually in the sense of "relevant to" or "affecting." When you have a question about a problem, về is the correct preposition to introduce the subject of the question.

Quick Quiz

Fill in the blank with đối với or về:

Cuốn sách này nói nhiều _____ văn hóa Việt Nam.

Hint: The sentence is discussing the topic or subject of the book.

Fill in the blank with đối với or về:

Việc học tiếng Việt rất quan trọng _____ sự nghiệp của tôi.

Hint: The sentence expresses the importance and impact of Vietnamese learning on a career.

Fill in the blank with đối với or về:

Họ đang thảo luận _____ kế hoạch mới của công ty.

Hint: They are having a discussion, and the blank introduces the topic of that discussion.