对……来说

duì… lái shuō

Meaning

对……来说 means “for…”, “from the point of view of…”. It frames something from a particular person's, group's or thing's perspective.

Basic structure

对 + Person / Thing + 来说，…

Examples

对(Duì)我(wǒ)来(lái)说(shuō)，衣(yī)服(fu)的(de)样(yàng)子(zi)流(liú)行(xíng)不(bù)流(liú)行(xíng)并(bìng)不(bù)是(shì)很(hěn)重(zhòng)要(yào)。

To me, whether the style of the clothes is trendy or not isn't very important.

对(Duì)一(yī)个(gè)女(nǚ)人(rén)来(lái)说(shuō)，漂(piào)亮(liang)、聪(cōng)明(ming)都(dōu)很(hěn)重(zhòng)要(yào)，但(dàn)其(qí)实(shí)更(gèng)重(zhòng)要(yào)的(de)是(shì)快(kuài)乐(lè)。

For a woman, being beautiful and clever both matter, but being happy matters more.

一(Yī)杯(bēi)水(shuǐ)，对(duì)一(yī)条(tiáo)小(xiǎo)鱼(yú)来(lái)说(shuō)，可(kě)能(néng)很(hěn)有(yǒu)帮(bāng)助(zhù)，它(tā)可(kě)以(yǐ)在(zài)里(lǐ)面(miàn)游(yóu)得(de)很(hěn)好(hǎo)。

A cup of water may be a great help to a small fish — it can swim in it perfectly well.

但(Dàn)是(shì)，对(duì)一(yī)条(tiáo)大(dà)鱼(yú)来(lái)说(shuō)，一(yī)杯(bēi)水(shuǐ)是(shì)没(méi)有(yǒu)什(shén)么(me)帮(bāng)助(zhù)的(de)，它(tā)需(xū)要(yào)的(de)是(shì)一(yī)条(tiáo)河(hé)。

But for a big fish a cup of water is no help at all — what it needs is a river.

对……来说 vs. 对……而言

对(Duì)我(wǒ)来(lái)说(shuō)，很(hěn)简(jiǎn)单(dān)。

For me it's easy.

对(Duì)公(gōng)司(sī)而(ér)言(yán)，这(zhè)是(shì)一(yī)个(gè)重(zhòng)要(yào)的(de)决(jué)定(dìng)。

For the company, this is an important decision.

对……来说 → the everyday form. 对……而言 → the same meaning, but more formal and written.