对 (duì) — be right / toward / a pair | Chinese (Mandarin) Grammar

对 (duì) is one of the first words you learn — the one-syllable "right!" you say when someone guesses correctly. But the same character is also a coverb meaning "toward / to / regarding," and a measure word for pairs. These look unrelated in English, yet they share one idea: 对 always points at a target. Whether that target is a correct answer, the person your attitude is aimed at, or the matching half of a pair, 对 marks orientation. Master the three jobs and where each one sits in the sentence, and 对 stops being confusing.

Sense 1: correct, right (stative verb / adjective)

As a stative verb, 对 means "correct, right, true." It needs no 是 before it, and its negative is 不对 (bú duì) "wrong." The tag 对不对 (duì bu duì) turns any statement into "…right?"

你说得对，我们应该早点儿出发。

nǐ shuō de duì, wǒmen yīnggāi zǎodiǎnr chūfā

You're right, we should set off a bit earlier.

这道题我算错了，答案不对。

zhè dào tí wǒ suàn cuò le, dá'àn bú duì

I got this problem wrong — the answer's incorrect.

我这样理解，对不对？

wǒ zhèyàng lǐjiě, duì bu duì

Am I understanding it correctly?

As a standalone reply, 对！ is "Right! / Correct!" And 对了 (duì le) is the everyday "Oh, by the way…" — the thought you almost forgot.

对了，明天的会改到三点了。

duì le, míngtiān de huì gǎi dào sān diǎn le

Oh right — tomorrow's meeting got moved to three o'clock.

Sense 2: toward / to / regarding (the coverb)

This is the sense learners most often get wrong. 对 introduces the target of an attitude, feeling, or effect, and the whole 对-phrase goes before the main verb or adjective, never after it. Think of it as "when it comes to / directed at."

他对我笑了笑，什么也没说。

tā duì wǒ xiào le xiào, shénme yě méi shuō

He smiled at me and said nothing.

老板对新来的员工很客气。

lǎobǎn duì xīn lái de yuángōng hěn kèqi

The boss is very polite to the new employees.

我对中国历史特别感兴趣。

wǒ duì Zhōngguó lìshǐ tèbié gǎn xìngqù

I'm especially interested in Chinese history.

A very common frame is 对……好 "be good/kind to" — and by extension "good for":

多喝水、少熬夜，对身体好。

duō hē shuǐ, shǎo áoyè, duì shēntǐ hǎo

Drink more water and stay up late less — it's good for your health.

你对这件事有什么看法？

nǐ duì zhè jiàn shì yǒu shénme kànfǎ

What's your take on this matter?

Sense 3: a pair (measure word) and 对面 / 对手

对 counts things that naturally come in matched twos — a pair of vases, a couple, a pair of earrings. (For two of the same shoes or chopsticks, Chinese prefers 双 shuāng; 对 leans toward male-female or complementary pairs.)

他送了我一对花瓶，摆在客厅正好。

tā sòng le wǒ yí duì huāpíng, bǎi zài kètīng zhènghǎo

He gave me a pair of vases — they sit perfectly in the living room.

The "facing / matching" idea also builds two everyday nouns: 对面 (duìmiàn) "the side facing you, across from," and 对手 (duìshǒu) "opponent, rival."

银行就在马路对面，走两分钟就到。

yínháng jiù zài mǎlù duìmiàn, zǒu liǎng fēnzhōng jiù dào

The bank is right across the street — a two-minute walk.

这次比赛的对手很强，我们得认真准备。

zhè cì bǐsài de duìshǒu hěn qiáng, wǒmen děi rènzhēn zhǔnbèi

This match's opponent is strong — we have to prepare seriously.

Key collocations

Phrase	Pinyin	Meaning
对不对	duì bu duì	…right? (tag question)
不对	bú duì	wrong, incorrect
对了	duì le	oh right / by the way
对……好	duì… hǎo	be good/kind to; good for
对……感兴趣	duì… gǎn xìngqù	be interested in
对……说	duì… shuō	say to (one-directional)
对身体好	duì shēntǐ hǎo	good for one's health
对面	duìmiàn	opposite side, across from
对手	duìshǒu	opponent, rival
一对	yí duì	a pair, a couple

Grammar notes

The coverb 对 belongs to the broad class of coverbs — verb-like words that mark a role (target, direction, instrument) before the main verb. The full range of 对 and its formal cousin 对于 is covered on the 对 / 对于 "toward, regarding" page. The one rule to burn in: the 对-phrase precedes the verb. Say 我对你说 "I'm telling you," never *我说对你.

Because 对 marks a one-directional attitude ("A's feeling aimed at B"), it contrasts sharply with 跟 (gēn), which marks a mutual, two-way action ("A and B do it together"). 你对我笑 = you smile at me (I just receive it); 你跟我聊天 = you chat with me (we both talk). And where English "to" means handing something over, that's 给 (gěi), not 对: 给你打电话 "call you," not *对你打电话. The full sort-out lives on the 和 vs 跟 vs 同 vs 与 page.

Common Mistakes

1. Putting the 对-phrase after the verb/adjective. The attitude target comes first.

❌ 他好对我。

Incorrect — the 对-phrase must precede the predicate, and the adjective needs 很.

✅ 他对我很好。

tā duì wǒ hěn hǎo

He's very good to me.

2. Dropping 对 before an interest/attitude target. "Interested in X" is 对 X 感兴趣.

❌ 我很感兴趣中国音乐。

Incorrect — the target of the interest must be marked by 对 before the verb.

✅ 我对中国音乐很感兴趣。

wǒ duì Zhōngguó yīnyuè hěn gǎn xìngqù

I'm very interested in Chinese music.

3. Using 对 for a mutual, two-way action. Discussing, chatting, and going somewhere together are 跟, not 对.

❌ 我想对你商量一件事。

Incorrect — discussing is mutual, so use 跟, not 对.

✅ 我想跟你商量一件事。

wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shāngliang yí jiàn shì

I'd like to discuss something with you.

4. Using 对 for handing something over. Calling, giving, and sending use 给.

❌ 我晚上对你打电话。

Incorrect — a phone call is directed transfer: use 给, not 对.

✅ 我晚上给你打电话。

wǒ wǎnshang gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà

I'll call you tonight.

Key Takeaways

对 has three jobs, all built on "pointing at a target": right/correct (你说得对), toward/regarding (对我好), and a pair (一对).
As a coverb, the 对-phrase goes before the verb: 我对你说, never *我说对你.
不对 = wrong; 对不对 = "…right?"; 对了 = "oh, by the way."
Keep the three "to/at" words apart: 对 = one-way attitude, 跟 = mutual action, 给 = handing over.

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