關於 / 关于
guānyú
To say about in the sense of concerning in Chinese, use 關於 / 关于 (guānyú). It introduces the topic you are talking about. If unsure, use 關於 / 关于. Wiktionary also lists 對於 / 对于 (duìyú).
Meaning: concerning (prep)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 關於 / 关于 | guānyú |
| 對於 / 对于 | duìyú |
关于 is used in both written and spoken language to introduce a subject matter, such as a book about history or a question about work.
Which one should you use?
對於 / 对于 (duìyú) marks the target of a feeling, attitude or reaction, while 關於 / 关于 introduces the topic itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
關於 and 對於 are written in traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while 关于 and 对于 are the simplified forms used in mainland China.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
關於 can stand at the very start of a sentence to introduce the topic of discussion before the main clause.
How do you pronounce it?
Say guānyú with a high level tone on the first syllable and a rising tone on the second.
What mistakes should you avoid?
關於 only means about in the sense of a topic. For approximately, as in about ten people, use 大概 instead.
Did you know?
- The character 关 in 关于 originally depicted a gate or a barrier. This suggests that the word 'about' in Chinese carries an ancestral sense of 'connecting' or 'linking' two things together.
- While 关于 describes a topic, Chinese uses a completely different logic for 'about' in a physical sense. To say someone is 'about to' do something, speakers use 就要 or 快要, which translate closer to 'soon'.
- The word 对于 is often used to express an opinion or attitude, but it can be replaced by the simpler preposition 对 in casual speech. The addition of 于 makes the phrase sound more academic or official.
Examples in context
- 我们讨论的是关于国际合作的计划。(Wǒ men tǎo lùn de shì guān yú guó jì hé zuò de jì huà.)We are discussing a plan about international cooperation.
- 对于这个问题，我有一些想法。(Duì yú zhè gè wèn tí, wǒ yǒu yī xiē xiǎng fǎ.)About this issue, I have some thoughts.
- 对于他的决定，我很失望。(Duì yú tā de jué dìng, wǒ hěn shī wàng.)I am disappointed about his decision.
- 明天的聚会关系到我们的友谊。(Míng tiān de jù huì guān xì dào wǒ men de yǒu yì.)Tomorrow's gathering is about our friendship.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “about” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
