How to tell them apart
について treats a topic neutrally — you talk, write, or ask about it. に対して implies a directed attitude or action: opposition, comparison, or a stance taken toward a target. Saying 先生について話す (talk about the teacher) is neutral, but 先生に対して話す means you address or direct something at the teacher, so swapping them changes the meaning.
- について Use について when you simply state, discuss, or ask about a topic with no opposing or comparative stance.
- に対して/対する Use に対して when an attitude, action, or comparison is directed at a target you oppose, contrast, or respond to.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| について nitsuite | regarding; on the subject of | N3 |
| に対して/対する ni shite suru | Directed toward, with respect to, in contrast | N3 |
について nitsuite
regarding; on the subject of
について marks the topic as regarding or on the subject of, used with verbs of speaking, thinking, learning, knowing, or discussing. It follows a noun directly, as in 日本について, and becomes についての before another noun and については when the topic is contrasted or emphasized. It is neutral and common in both speech and writing, but remember that the noun comes first with no extra particle like を or に in between.
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私はそれについてほとんど知らない。
I know little or nothing about it.
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私たちは外国について多くのことを学ばねばならない。
We must learn a lot about foreign countries.
に対して/対する ni shite suru
Directed toward, with respect to, in contrast
に対して marks the person, thing, or topic that a feeling, action, or situation is directed toward, such as kindness, anger, or responsibility. It can also show contrast between two different attitudes or conditions. It follows a noun, as in 私に対して or 親に対して, with に対し as a slightly formal variant and に対する placed before a noun, as in 私に対する態度. It is common in polite and written Japanese, so avoid using it for physical direction where に is enough.
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彼は私に対して非常に親切だ。
He is very friendly toward me.
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彼は君に対して怒っている。
He is angry with you.
について and に対して/対する are both JLPT N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.