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に対して (ni taishite) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Towards

Author Anna Baffa Volpe for article 'に対して (ni taishite) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Towards'

Anna Baffa Volpe

The expression に(たい)して (ni taishite) is translated in different ways such as in contrast with, against, but also means towards (someone, something), to, regarding (someone, something).

We'll see in this post the 2 main uses and also the different forms of the structure.


When using に(たい)して

The expression に(たい)して describes a person or object towards which the expressed action or feeling is directed.

It has mainly 2 uses:

1 describes the object (たい)(しょう) towards which the expressed action or feeling is directed: to, towards.

(てん)(いん)さんはお(きゃく)(さま)(たい)して(てい)(ねい)()使(つか)います。

Shopkeepers use a polite language towards customers.

2 describes the contrast (たい)() between the two expressed elements and can be translated as: in contrast with, whereas.

ゲームばかりしている(あに)(たい)して、(おとうと)はいつも(べん)(きょう)している。

My younger brother is always studying, whereas my older brother is always playing games.

(たい)して towards

The structure we follow when に(たい)して expresses the person, the thing we are referring to mainly uses the noun:

Noun+(たい)して+Sentence
Noun+(たい)する+Noun

Let's see a sentence that we will reformulate later with the variants に(たい)するい and に(たい)しての.

(とう)さんは(いもうと)(たい)してとても(きび)しいです。

My father is very strict towards my young sister.

(たい)して in contrast to, whereas

(たい) is a Kanji that we find in the term (はん)(たい) meaning opposition, contrast, antagonism, and the expression に(たい)して also takes on the meaning of contrary to, in contrast to.

  • A is one way, whereas B is another

(こう)(れい)(しゃ)()えているのに(たい)して、()どもの(かず)(げん)(しょう)しています。

While the number of older people is increasing, the number of children is decreasing.

The structure in this case is more articulated:

Noun+(たい)して+Sentence
Verb in plain form++(たい)して+Sentence
い and な adjective++(たい)して+Sentence
  • Example using the な adjective, ()きな:

(わたし)はクラシックミュージックが()きなのに(たい)して、(いもうと)はポップミュージックが()き。

I like classical music, whereas my sister likes pop music.

  • Example wih the verb ()む:

()()()(まん)()()んだのに(たい)して、(けい)()(しょう)(せつ)()んだ。

Mayumi read manga, whereas Keiko read novels.

(たい)する regarding, towards

This structure as we will see in the examples, に(たい)する contains する which is a verb and can only be followed by a noun.

Noun+(たい)する+Noun

(とう)さんは(いもうと)(たい)する(たい)()はとても(きび)しいです。

My father has a very strict attitude towards my sister.

We therefore had to add a second noun (たい)() behaviour, attitude.

(おや)(たい)する(かん)(しゃ)()()

The gratitude towards parents

(しゃ)(かい)(たい)する()(がく)(えい)(きょう)(おお)きいです。

The impact of science on society is significant.

(たい)しての towards, to

The structure に(たい)して followed by the particle の must be followed by a substantive.

Noun+(たい)して++Noun

(とう)さんは(いもうと)(たい)しての(たい)()はとても(きび)しいです。

My father has a very strict attitude towards my sister.

(たい)しても even towards, even against

If we add the particle , the expression becomes に(たい)しても and has the meaning of also against, also towards or in a listing towards both A and B. (だれ)(たい)しても means "towards everyone ".

(わたし)(どう)(りょう)()(ごと)(なに)(たい)しても()(わけ)ばかりだ。

My colleagues always make excuses for work and everything.

(たい)しては towards

Adding the particle は we are emphasising the element preceding the expression.

Let's see the nuance between に(たい)しても and に(たい)しては through an excerpt from a popular Japanese Blog:

You say you have the same attitude towards everyone, but how far should you go with strange people?
(だれ)(たい)しても: towards everyone

(だれ)(たい)しても(おな)(たい)()というけど、(へん)(ひと)(たい)してはどこまで()()えば()いの?

You say you have the same attitude towards everyone, but how far should we go with strange people?

We find twice the expression with a slight nuance:

  • (たい)して: in this case も refers and is joined to "A" (だれ), specifically (だれ)everyone and combined with 対して becomes to everyone, towards everyone;
  • (たい)して: the particle は emphasises the noun "B" that precedes the expression and creates the contrast with "A": towards strange people

Other examples of に(たい)して

Title of a post from a Japanese blog dealing with personal relationships:

If you do 9 and don't do 1 towards the counterparty, you will lose [reasons and 3 countermeasures]
(あい)()(たい)して towards the other party

(あい)()(たい)して9やって1やらないと(そん)をする【()(ゆう)(たい)(さく)(せん)

If you do 9 and don't do 1 towards the counterparty, you will lose [reasons and 3 strategies]

(かれ)(あい)(まい)(たい)()(たい)してイライラした。

I was irritated by his ambiguous attitude.

(せん)(せい)()(けん)(たい)して(さん)(せい)しました。

I agreed with the teacher's opinion.

あきらくんは(じょ)(せい)(たい)して(やさ)しい。

Akira is kind to women.