“〜ni totte”: For 〜, To 〜 (a standpoint of evaluation) [JLPT N3]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「私にとって家族は大切だ」 — judging how something rates from a given standpoint (“for 〜”).

「私にとって、家族は何より大切だ」 — 「にとって」, for ~, from ~'s standpoint

「私にとって、家族は何より大切な存在だ」 (for me, family is more precious than anything) — 「noun ＋ にとって」 means “for ~, as far as ~ is concerned”: from someone/something's standpoint, angle, expressing an evaluation, importance, or judgment for them. This guide covers 「にとって」's attachment, that “evaluating from someone's angle” feel, and separates it from action-object 「に対して (do … toward)」 and topic 「について (about)」.

Core: from someone's standpoint, evaluate something

The core of 「にとって」 is “taking someone/something as the standpoint, expressing an evaluation, importance for them” — from someone's angle (me, foreigners, children), seeing how something is for them:

• Evaluating importance: 家族は私にとって、宝物だ (family is a treasure to me).
• Evaluating difficulty/quality: 外国人にとって、敬語は難しい (for foreigners, keigo is hard).

Feel: “for ~, from ~'s standpoint” — the second clause is usually an evaluation, judgment (大切だ, 難しい, 必要だ, 幸せだ).

How to Connect

Examples in context

• 私にとって、家族は何より大切な存在だ。(For me, family is more precious than anything.) — evaluating importance
• 外国人にとって、日本語の敬語は難しい。(For foreigners, Japanese keigo is hard.) — evaluating difficulty
• 子供にとっての夢は、宇宙飛行士だ。(A child's dream is to be an astronaut.) — modifying a noun
• この経験は、私たちにとってとても大切だ。(This experience is very important to us.) — evaluation
• 彼にとって、音楽は生きがいだ。(For him, music is what makes life worth living.) — evaluation

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① 「にとって」 (evaluating standpoint, for ~) vs 「に対して」 (action object, do … toward). にとって = evaluate from someone's standpoint (for ~, something is …) (子供にとって親は必要だ = for children, parents are necessary — evaluated from the child's standpoint); に対して = do an action/hold an attitude toward an object (toward whom) (子供に対して優しい = kind toward children — the kind attitude aimed at children). にとって is followed by an evaluation (大切だ/難しい), に対して by an action/attitude (優しい/反対する). Chinese may say “toward …” for both, but one is standpoint-evaluation, the other action-object.

② The second clause is an ‘evaluation, judgment,' not an action. にとって's second clause is usually an adjective or an evaluative noun (大切だ, 難しい, 幸せだ, 宝物だ, 意味がある), expressing “how it is for someone.” ✗ 私にとって、彼を助けた (an action after it is unnatural) → the object of an action uses 「に」 or 「を」. Use にとって only for “for … (something) is ….”

③ To modify a noun, use 「にとっての」. To modify a noun, use 「にとっての ＋ noun」: 子供にとっての幸せ (happiness for a child), 私にとっての理想 (an ideal for me), 彼にとっての転機 (a turning point for him). Don't drop the middle 「の」 (✗ 子供にとって幸せ, when modifying a noun, add の).

🔄 Compare: にとって／に対して／について／として

💡 How to remember this

The core of 「にとって」 is “from someone/something's standpoint, angle, expressing an evaluation, importance, judgment for them” — 私にとって家族は宝 (for me, family is a treasure), 外国人にとって敬語は難しい (for foreigners, keigo is hard), 子供にとって遊びは大切 (for children, play matters). Its second clause is usually an evaluation, judgment (大切だ, 難しい, 必要だ, 幸せだ). The key is separating the similar に-set: にとって = for ~ (an evaluating standpoint), に対して = toward (the object of an action/attitude), について = about (topic) — Chinese may say “toward …” for all, but にとって is “evaluating from someone's angle,” に対して is “doing an action toward an object.” To modify a noun, use 「にとっての」 (子供にとっての夢). To say “for someone, something is …,” にとって is spot-on.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: How do I tell 「にとって」 from 「に対して」? (both may be ‘toward/for,' super easy to confuse)

By “take a standpoint to ‘evaluate'” vs “do an ‘action/hold an attitude' toward an object.” 「にとって」 = from someone/something's standpoint, evaluate how something is for them (for ~, something is …, followed by an evaluation): 健康は誰にとっても大切だ (health is important for everyone — evaluating importance), この決定は会社にとって大きな損失だ (this decision is a big loss for the company — evaluation), 彼女にとって、その言葉は救いだった (those words were salvation for her — evaluation). It's “for (someone), (something) is … (how),” the subject being the thing evaluated, the second clause an evaluation/judgment (大切だ, 難しい, 損失だ). 「に対して」 = do an action, hold an attitude toward an object (the action, attitude aimed at an object, followed by an action/attitude): 彼女に対して、失礼なことを言った (said something rude toward her — action aimed at her), その提案に対して、賛成する (approve of that proposal — attitude aimed at the proposal), 目上に対しては敬語を使う (use keigo toward superiors). It's “(someone) does …/holds an attitude toward (an object),” the second clause an action/attitude (言う, 賛成する, 優しい). So the test: followed by an ‘evaluation/judgment (is a … presence, is hard, is important)' → にとって; followed by an ‘action/attitude (do …, hold an attitude)' → に対して. E.g., 「子供にとって親は大切だ」 = for children, parents are important (evaluation); 「子供に対して優しくする」 = be kind toward children (action/attitude). One is “for … (is …),” the other “toward … (do …).”

Q: How do I tell 「にとって」 from 「として」? (both take a noun for a standpoint)

By “an evaluating standpoint (for ~)” vs “a status, qualification (as ~).” 「にとって」 = for ~, evaluate from ~'s standpoint (expressing something's value, meaning for someone, followed by an evaluation): 私にとって、この本は人生を変えた一冊だ (for me, this book is one that changed my life — evaluating the book from my standpoint), 若者にとって、SNSは日常の一部だ (for young people, social media is part of daily life — from young people's standpoint). It's “from someone's angle, how something ‘is for them.'” 「として」 = as ~, in the status/qualification of ~ (expressing the ‘role, status' someone/something plays, followed by that status's action/nature): 彼は教師として、生徒を指導する (he guides students as a teacher — in the teacher status), この部屋は書斎として使っている (this room is used as a study — in the study's function), リーダーとして責任を持つ (take responsibility as the leader). It's “in a status/qualification (doing something, serving a function).” So: “for … (evaluating something from a standpoint)” → にとって; “as … (in a status/qualification)” → として. E.g., 「私にとって、彼は恩人だ」 = for me, he's a benefactor (evaluating him from my standpoint); 「彼は医者として立派だ」 = he's excellent as a doctor (evaluated in the doctor status). One is “viewing something from someone's standpoint,” the other “in a status (doing/being).” (に対して・について each have their own guide.)

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「外国人___、日本語の敬語は難しい。」 (for foreigners) Which fits the blank?

(A) について　(B) に対して　(C) にとって　(D) によって

Q2. 「子供___の夢は宇宙飛行士だ。」 (a child's dream) What is the correct connection?

(A) にとり　(B) にとって　(C) にとっての　(D) にとりて

Q3. 「にとって」と「に対して」、どちらが正しい？「先生___礼儀正しく接しましょう。」

(A) にとって　(B) に対して　(C) について　(D) によって

Q4. 「にとって」を使う目的は？

(A) indicating the direction of an action (to where)

(B) 評価・判断の立場を示す (from whose perspective)

(C) 原因を表す (because)

(D) 方法を示す (by what method)

Q5. 「___にとって、この経験は大切だ。」 (for all of us) Which fits the blank?

(A) みんな　(B) みんなの　(C) みんなに　(D) 全員の

Answer Explanations

1. (C) にとって ── use にとって for an evaluation standard "for someone". 「外国人にとって」.

2. (C) にとっての ── にとって + の = modifies a noun. 「子供にとっての夢」 = a dream for a child.

3. (B) に対して ── 「先生に対して礼儀正しく」 = be polite toward the teacher. に対して = the direction of an object/attitude. にとって = an evaluation standard (viewpoint).

4. (B) 評価・判断の立場 ── にとって = judging things from someone's standpoint. 「私にとって大切」 = it's important from my point of view.

5. (A) みんな ── みんな (noun) + にとって. You don't need の (みんなの + にとって is incorrect).