對（介詞）

Toward (Attitude)

Level 2Sounds Like deoi3

The preposition 對 (deoi3) specifies the target or object of your attitude, treatment, or stance. Place 對 + Target right before the adjective or verb phrase describing the attitude.

How It Works

1. Understanding 對 (deoi3)
In Cantonese, 對 (deoi3) acts as a coverb (preposition) meaning 'toward', 'to', 'with', or 'regarding'. It points an attitude, feeling, or treatment at a specific target (a person, animal, group, abstract topic, or situation).

2. Sentence Structure
Unlike English where prepositional phrases often follow adjectives ('He is strict with his employees'), Cantonese places the prepositional target phrase before the adjective or emotional verb predicate:
• Subject + 對 + Target + Stance/Predicate
• 老闆對員工好嚴格 (lou5 baan2 deoi3 jyun4 gung1 hou2 jim4 gaak3) = The boss is very strict with employees.

3. Common Collocations
對 (deoi3) frequently pairs with stance and attitude expressions:
• 好 / 唔好 (hou2 / m4 hou2): treat well / poorly
• 嚴 / 嚴格 (jim4 / jim4 gaak3): strict with
• 有興趣 (jau5 hing3 ceoi3): interested in
• 有信心 (jau5 seon3 sam1): confident in
• 關心 (gwaan1 sam1): care about

4. Crucial Distinction: 對 (deoi3) vs. 同 (tung4)
A common source of confusion for Cantonese learners is choosing between 對 (deoi3) and 同 (tung4):
• 對 (deoi3) expresses a one-directional attitude or treatment directed at someone (e.g., 佢對我好 = 'He treats me well').
• 同 (tung4) expresses mutual interaction or relationship (e.g., 佢同我好 = 'He and I are close / on good terms').

5. Negation and Usage Notes
To negate the stance or behavior, place the negative marker 唔 (m4) or 冇 (mou5) directly before the adjective/verb, NOT before 對 (deoi3):
• 佢對我唔好 (keoi5 deoi3 ngo5 m4 hou2) = He does not treat me well.

Examples (4)

  1. 我外母對我好好嘅。

    My mother-in-law treats me very well.

    Word by Word: I mother-in-law toward me very good [assertion particle]

    Uses 對 (deoi3) to show the mother-in-law's one-directional attitude and behavior toward the speaker.

  2. 老闆對員工好嚴格。

    The boss is very strict with the employees.

    Word by Word: Boss toward employee very strict

    對 (deoi3) connects the subject (boss) with the target (employees) who receive the strict treatment.

  3. 佢對呢個計劃好有信心。

    He is very confident in this plan.

    Word by Word: He toward this [classifier] plan very have confidence

    Demonstrates using 對 (deoi3) with an abstract target (a plan) to express a stance or feeling.

  4. 我對廣東話好有興趣。

    I am very interested in Cantonese.

    Word by Word: I toward Cantonese very have interest

    The topic of interest (廣東話) is introduced by 對 (deoi3) prior to the predicate 好有興趣.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the prepositional target phrase after the adjective or verb.

    佢好對我
    佢對我好

    In Cantonese, coverb phrases like 對我 (deoi3 ngo5) must precede the main adjective or verb, unlike English where 'to me' comes at the end.

  • Using 同 (tung4) when you mean one-way treatment.

    Different Meaning佢同我好好
    佢對我好好

    佢同我好好 is a natural sentence, but it says he and I get along well, a two-way relationship. To say he treats me well, use 對 (deoi3): 佢對我好好.

  • Omitting 對 (deoi3) when expressing interest or confidence in something.

    我好有興趣廣東話
    我對廣東話好有興趣

    Mental stance predicates like 有興趣 (jau5 hing3 ceoi3) require 對 (deoi3) to introduce the object of that stance.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

對（介詞）Level 2Toward (Attitude)

Learn This First

To use '對' to describe an attitude, you need to understand how to structure a basic sentence and how to use degree markers with adjectives, as this pattern often describes how one person treats another (e.g., 'treats me very well').

Words in This Pattern

对