towards; against; with regard to; in response to
Marks the person, thing, statement, or issue that an action, attitude, reaction, or judgment is directed toward. It can be neutral, favorable, or opposed depending on the predicate.
See also: に対する
彼は子どもに対してとても優しい。
He is very kind toward children.
その計画に対して多くの反対意見が出た。
Many objections were raised against that plan.
She answered the question politely.
Whereas the older brother is sociable, the younger brother is quiet.
去年は赤字だったのに対して、今年は黒字になった。
In contrast to last year, when we were in the red, this year we turned a profit.
について means 'about/concerning' in a neutral, general sense, while に対して more strongly marks a target of an action, attitude, or contrast.
に関して is a slightly more formal way to say 'regarding/concerning', whereas に対して often implies a directed reaction or opposing comparison.
に対して is the full, standard form meaning 'toward/regarding', while 対して is a slightly abbreviated version used when the preceding context already makes the target clear.
に対する is the attributive form used directly before a noun (子どもに対する態度), while に対して is used before a verb or clause.
に対して marks the target of an action or attitude, often with a nuance of contrast or opposition, whereas に向けて emphasizes direction or a goal being aimed at.
に関し introduces a topic ('concerning X'), while に対して marks a target of an action or attitude ('toward X'), so they are not interchangeable despite similar sentence position.
Standard modern spelling for this grammatical expression.
Uses the outdated kanji 對; mainly useful for older texts or search.
A grammaticalized phrase built from に plus 対して, the te-form of 対する 'to face; to be directed toward; to concern.' The spelling に対して transparently reflects the idea of being directed toward or set against something.
に関して introduces a topic ('regarding X'), whereas に対して marks a target or recipient of an action or reaction ('toward/in response to X').
について marks the topic being discussed, while に対して indicates direction, target, or contrast, so they are not interchangeable despite both following a noun with に.
に対して indicates the target of an action or attitude ('toward'), whereas にとって expresses a perspective or relevance ('for').