could you kindly explain the difference between the phrases “to me” và “for me”. Are there any special rules we should stick to lớn when choosing which of these two phrases khổng lồ use.

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Thank you


Hey, I can think of one example that I had a hard time with myself.

I used lớn say: “Thanks for doing this “to” me”. In my language, “to” & “for” have the same meaning.Anyway, a friend once told me that when you say someone did something “to” you, it means the person did something bad lớn you.If someone does something “for” you, it means the person is doing something nice.My friend said: Thanks for doing this “for” me. Và stop doing this “to” me.Anyway, does anyone have more examples?


.Hello, Galusya, và welcome lớn congthuong.net-Test.

Where concern often rises about these two phrases is when they are fronted in a sentence:

To me, golf is a pointless game.For me, golf is a pointless game.

These have the same meaning here, and are interchangeable. As one commentator put it:

“…People are using the frontal ‘for me’ mostly as an ellipsis of ‘as for me’(‘as far as I’m concerned’). As for ‘to me’, they are using it as a shortened form of the phrases like ‘it sounds/looks/seems/appears to lớn me’.”

There are other structures where the prepositions lead to lớn differences in meaning, of course:

It is pointless for me lớn continue this discussion = I have no good reason to continue talking.

It is pointless khổng lồ me khổng lồ continue this discussion = It seems to lớn me that there is no good reason for anyone lớn continue talking.

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Jamie_K April 2, 2006, 9:19am #4
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Galusya:

Could you kindly explain the difference between the phrases “to me” và “for me”. Are there any special rules we should stick to when choosing which of these two phrases to use.

Galusya, could you tell us your native language, and what kinds of things confuse you? That could help us figure out what advice you need.

My guess, from your name, is that you speak some Slavic language. There are some situations in which many people have trouble deciding whether the indirect object of a sentence should kết thúc up in a khổng lồ phrase or a for phrase.

For example:

They baked her a cake.= They baked a cake for her.(They made the cake for her benefit.)

He bought me a camera.= He bought a camera for me.(He bought the camera for my benefit.)

She sent me a package.= She sent a package to lớn me.(The package went khổng lồ me.)But here’s one that people from many countries have trouble with:

They stole him the car.= They stole the oto for him.(They stole the car và gave it khổng lồ him.)This does NOT mean, “They stole his car.”The problem learners have in this case is that in their languages the indirect object would indicate that they did something to lớn him (something bad khổng lồ hurt him), but in fact it means they did something for him (he wanted a car, so they stole one for him).

Basically, as the other posters have said, you have khổng lồ figure out whether something bad was done to lớn someone (to him), or for his benefit (for him). Thirdly, if something is going in someone’s direction (being sent, given, etc.), then you need the preposition to.