# Đối với: for / towards in Vietnamese (A2)

> Đối với means "for" in the sense of "as far as … is concerned". At the start of a sentence, it names whose view you're giving: Đối với tôi, gia đình quan…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/doi-voi/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**for / towards**

Pattern: `Đối với + [person or thing], … · [adjective] + đối với + [person]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: formal

Typed without accents: doi voi

*Đối với* means "for" in the sense of "as far as … is concerned". At the start of a sentence, it names whose view you're giving: *Đối với tôi, gia đình quan trọng nhất.* For me, family comes first. It can also bring in what you're about to talk about: *Đối với trẻ em, vé vào cửa miễn phí.* For children, entry is free.

After an adjective, it says who something is that way for: *Món này hơi cay đối với người nước ngoài.* This dish is a bit spicy for foreigners. It also follows words for how you treat someone: *tốt đối với nhân viên*, good to the staff.

In conversation, *với* alone often does the job: *Với tôi, …*, *hơi cay với người nước ngoài*. *Đối với* sounds more careful, and it's the usual form in writing, speeches and the news.

It's never the "for" of a favour or a gift. For the person who gets something, or for whom you do something, use *cho*: *Tôi mua quà cho mẹ.*

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi mua quà đối với mẹ.

✓ Tôi mua quà cho mẹ.

For the person who receives something, "for" is *cho*. *Đối với* is for points of view and how you treat people.

## Examples

- Đối với tôi, gia đình quan trọng nhất. — For me, family comes first.
- Món này hơi cay đối với người nước ngoài. — This dish is a bit spicy for foreigners.
- Sếp tôi rất tốt đối với nhân viên. — My boss is very good to the staff.
- Đối với trẻ em, vé vào cửa miễn phí. — For children, entry is free.

## Words in this pattern

- [đối với](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/doi-voi/#s_doi_voi): for

## Compare

- [To or for someone: verb + thing + cho + person](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-to-for/): send / buy / sell to, work for
- [On the part of: về phía](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ve-phia/): on the part of / for (party)

Previous in Places and movement: [Direction words follow the map and the speaker: ra Hà Nội, vô Sài Gòn, lên Đà Lạt, lên lầu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vao-ra-north-south/)
Next in Places and movement: [Made of: (làm) bằng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/bang-material/)

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