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 or subject being discussed, thought about, or asked about, similar to "about" or "concerning" in English. It attaches directly to a noun, as in このことについて or それについて. It is common in both spoken and written Japanese and works with verbs like 話す, 聞く, and 学ぶ.
-
明日このことについてお目にかからなくてはと思います。
I'd better see you about this tomorrow.
-
母語についてはいくらたくさん学んでも十分ではない。
You cannot learn too much about your own language.
に対して/対する ni shite suru
Directed toward, with respect to, in contrast
に対して marks the person or thing that an action or feeling is directed toward, and 対する works the same way when modifying a noun directly, as in 対するいじめ. It attaches to nouns, and the は in に対しては simply adds topical emphasis.
-
両親に対してはどんなに優しくしてもしすぎることはない。
You cannot be too good to your parents.
-
彼女は自分に対するいじめのことでじっと考え込んでいた。
She brooded over the bullying done to her.
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.