对

duì

preposition

Duì 对/對 ‘toward, to’ is a preposition indicating to whom an action is performed  or a target of an action. It can also occur in constructions indicating an attitude towards someone or something. Together with a noun or pronoun, it forms a prepositional phrase that introduces the object.

Structure

Basic form

With verb as predicate

With adjective as predicate

Negation

1. In sentences with a verb expressing an action as a predicate, the negation is usually formed by adding negation adverb bù 不 or méi yǒu 没有/沒有 before the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對.

The negation adverb is usually placed before the verbal predicate in sentences with the preposition duì 对/對 used to indicate an attitude toward someone or something.

2. The negation of sentences with yǒu 有 as predicate is formed by placing the negation adverb méi 没/沒 before yǒu 有.

3. The negation of sentences with adjectives as predicates usually needs to be placed before an adjective.

With adverbs

1. In sentences with verbs describing actions as a predicate, adverbs such as dōu 都 ‘all’, yě 也 ‘also’, chángcháng 常常 ‘often’, yòu 又 ‘again’, yǐjīng 已经/已經 ‘already’ usually need to be placed before the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對.

2. In sentences expressing an attitude with a verb as predicate, adverbs such as dōu 都 ‘all’, yě 也 ‘also’ usually need to be placed before the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對.

Alternatively, adverbs such as dōu 都 ‘all’ and yě 也 ‘also’ can be placed after the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對.

3. In sentences expressing an attitude with the verb yǒu 有 ‘to have’ as predicate, adverbs such as dōu 都 ‘all’, yě 也 ‘also’, yòu 又 ‘again’ can be placed before the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對.

Alternatively, adverbs such as dōu 都 ‘all’ and yě 也 ‘also’ can be placed after the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對. In such a construction, the emphasis is put on the noun or pronoun which follows the preposition duì 对/對.

4. In sentences expressing an attitude with adjectives as predicates, adverbs such as dōu 都 ‘all’, yě  也 ‘also’ can be placed before the prepositional phrase with duì 对/對 or before the adjective.

With modal verbs

With negation and modal verbs

Functions

1. Duì 对/對 indicating to whom an action is performed or a target of an action.

When duì 对/對 indicates toward whom an action is performed or the target of an action, the predicate of the sentence is a verb describing an action or behavior.

2. Duì 对/對 indicating attitude to someone or something

The preposition duì 对/對 is used in phrases expressing an attitude toward someone or something. The attitude to someone or something can be expressed by:

• a verb

• the verb yǒu 有 ‘to have’ and its object

• an adjective