N3 Methods, Scope, and Relation

~にとって: meaning, usage and examples

~にとって means: for... / to... (from someone's perspective).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 田中たなかさんは私わたしにとって大切たいせつな友ともだちです。

   Mr. Tanaka is a dear friend to me.

2. この問題もんだいは、彼かれにとって難むずかしすぎる。

   This problem is too difficult for him.

3. 木村きむらさんにとって、このカメラは宝物たからものです。

   This camera is a treasure to Mr. Kimura.

4. 学生がくせいにとって、夏休なつやすみは一番いちばん楽たのしい時期じきです。

   For students, summer vacation is the most fun time of the year.

When to use it

Means "for" or "to" in the sense of "from the point of view of." The noun before it is the person or group making a judgment, and the end of the sentence is an evaluation: important, difficult, easy, a problem, a good memory. Use it to say how much something matters to someone or how it feels to them.

Nuance

Neutral; used in speech and writing. The predicate is almost always an evaluation (大切たいせつだ, 難むずかしい, うれしい), not an action. It cannot carry actions or attitudes aimed at someone: 先生せんせいにとって話はなす is wrong.

Compare

Compare にとって with に対たいして: 子こどもにとって大切たいせつだ (important from the child's point of view) vs 子こどもに対たいしてやさしい (kind toward the child, an attitude aimed at them). Also compare として: 親おやとして心配しんぱいする (worry in the role of a parent) vs 親おやにとって心配しんぱいだ (it is worrying for a parent).

Tip: Check the end of the sentence. If it is a judgment like 大切たいせつ or 難むずかしい, use にとって. If it is an action or attitude toward someone, use に対たいして.