LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N3Grammar, one piece at a time · Sep 21, 2026

〜にとって: the Japanese way to say "for me, this matters

〜にとって names the person a judgement is being made from, not the person something is done for — which is the entire difference between it and のために.

English uses one word, "for," to cover both. This is important for me and I bought it for you look like the same sentence shape in English and are two completely different grammar points in Japanese. Learners who map "for" onto にとって produce sentences that are grammatical-looking and quietly wrong.

The basics

What does にとって mean?

Xにとって means "from X's standpoint" or "as far as X is concerned." It sets whose eyes you are seeing the evaluation through.

私わたしにとって、日本語にほんごは大切たいせつです。 — For me, Japanese is important. (polite; the importance is measured from my position) 子こどもにとって、遊あそびは仕事しごとです。 — For a child, play is work. (a general truth, seen from the child's side)

Attach it straight to a noun: 私わたしにとって, 学生がくせいにとって, 日本にほんにとって. No particle in between, and no の.

What comes after it?

An evaluation. That is the rule that decides everything else.

彼氏かれしにとって忘わすれられない思い出おもいでになりました。 — It became an unforgettable memory for her boyfriend. (polite; 忘わすれられない is a judgement) この試験しけんは私わたしにとって難むずかしすぎる。 — This exam is too hard for me. (plain; 難むずかしい is a judgement) 英語えいごは日本人にほんじんにとって必要ひつような技能ぎのうだ。 — English is a necessary skill for Japanese people. (plain, written; 必要ひつよう is a judgement)

The words that follow にとって are nearly always from one small family: 大切たいせつ/重要じゅうよう/必要ひつよう/大事だいじ, 難むずかしい/簡単かんたん, ありがたい, 忘わすれられない, 幸しあわせ/不幸ふこう, 意味いみがある. If the word after it is not an opinion about value or difficulty, にとって is probably the wrong tool.

Where does it go in the sentence?

Usually near the front, before the thing being judged. Both of these are fine:

私わたしにとってこの本ほんは宝物たからものです。 — For me, this book is a treasure. (polite) この本ほんは私わたしにとって宝物たからものです。 — Same meaning, slightly more weight on the book. (polite)

The topic particle は can ride along as にとっては, which adds contrast — "for me at least, whatever it is for you." That is the same contrastive job は does everywhere, described in は and が.

私わたしにとっては大おおきな問題もんだいです。 — For me, it's a big problem. (polite; implies others may not see it that way)

Beyond the basics

にとって or のために?

This is the mistake worth memorising, because both translate as "for."

  • にとって — whose viewpoint the judgement comes from. Followed by an evaluation.
  • のために — who benefits from an action. Followed by a verb.

家族かぞくにとって大切たいせつな日にちです。 — It's an important day for the family. (their viewpoint) 家族かぞくのためにケーキを作つくりました。 — I made a cake for my family. (their benefit)

Swap them and both sentences break. ×家族かぞくのために大切たいせつな日にちです reads as "it's an important day in order to benefit the family," and ×家族かぞくにとってケーキを作つくりました is not a sentence at all, because 作つくる is an action, not a judgement. The purpose side of this is covered in ために and ように.

Why 私わたしにとって勉強べんきょうします is wrong

Because 勉強べんきょうする is something you do, and にとって cannot introduce an action. にとって needs a state or a judgement to attach to.

×私わたしにとって日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。 ○私わたしは日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。 — I study Japanese. (the simple, correct sentence) ○私わたしにとって日本語にほんごの勉強べんきょうは楽たのしいです。 — For me, studying Japanese is fun. (the study is now a noun being judged)

If you want にとって in the sentence, turn the action into a noun and judge it.

にとって, にしたら, にしてみれば

All three set a viewpoint, and they are not interchangeable in tone.

私わたしにとって、これは普通ふつうのことです。 — For me, this is normal. (neutral, works in writing) 子こどもにしたら、つまらないだろうね。 — From a kid's point of view, it's probably boring. (spoken, sympathetic, imagining their feelings) 親おやにしてみれば、心配しんぱいなのは当然とうぜんだ。 — Seen from a parent's side, worrying is only natural. (spoken or written, strongly empathetic)

にとって is the neutral one and the only one you need for an essay. にしたら and にしてみれば carry a feeling of stepping into someone's shoes, so they attach to people, almost never to things or countries.

からすると and からいうと

These look similar and do a different job: they mark the basis for a conclusion, not the person affected.

この点数てんすうからすると、合格ごうかくは難むずかしい。 — Judging from this score, passing will be difficult. (basis) 私わたしにとって、合格ごうかくは難むずかしい。 — For me, passing is difficult. (viewpoint)

からすると takes evidence; にとって takes a person or a group. If you can replace the phrase with "judging from," it is not にとって.

The formal version

In a speech or a business document you will meet にとりまして, which is the same grammar dressed up.

弊社へいしゃにとりまして、大変たいへんありがたいお話はなしです。 — For our company, this is a most welcome proposal. (formal business)

You will rarely need to produce it, but it is worth recognising, and it pairs naturally with the written register described in 書き言葉かきことば and 話し言葉はなしことば.

にとって with things and places

にとって is not limited to people. Countries, companies and even animals take it, as long as they can be said to have a stake.

日本にほんにとって、観光かんこうは重要じゅうような産業さんぎょうだ。 — For Japan, tourism is an important industry. (written) 猫ねこにとって、この部屋へやは広ひろすぎる。 — For a cat, this room is too big. (plain)

What it cannot take is a thing with no perspective. ×机つくえにとって is odd unless you are being deliberately playful, because a desk has no stake in anything.

Common mistakes

  • Following it with a verb of action. にとって introduces a judgement, so 〜にとって買かいました, 〜にとって行いきます and 〜にとって勉強べんきょうします are all broken. Use のために, or restructure.
  • Adding の before it. It is 私わたしにとって, never ×私わたしのにとって.
  • Using it where は alone is enough. 私わたしにとって好すきです is heavy; 私わたしは〜が好すきです is what a Japanese speaker says. にとって earns its place when the viewpoint is the point — when you are contrasting it with somebody else's.
  • Reaching for it to translate every English "for." "For three hours," "for you," "for example" are 三時さんじ間あいだ, のために, 例たとえば. None of them are にとって.
  • Using にしたら for a country or a company. にしたら imagines someone's feelings, so 日本にほんにしたら sounds strange where 日本にほんにとって is natural.

にとって and its neighbours at a glance

Form Marks Followed by Example
〜にとって Whose viewpoint An evaluation 私わたしにとって大切たいせつだ
〜のために Who benefits An action 家族かぞくのために働はたらく
〜にしたら Whose feelings (spoken) A guess or judgement 子こどもにしたらつまらない
〜にしてみれば Whose side, with empathy A judgement 親おやにしてみれば当然とうぜんだ
〜からすると The basis for a conclusion A conclusion 点数てんすうからすると難むずかしい
〜にとりまして Whose viewpoint (formal) An evaluation 弊社へいしゃにとりましてありがたい

Practice

Answers are hidden — build the sentence first, then open. Questions 1 and 2 are a pair: the same family, once judging and once benefiting.

1. Say: "It's an important day for my family."

Show answer

家族かぞくにとって大切たいせつな日にちです。 — 大切たいせつ is a judgement, so the viewpoint marker にとって is right.

2. Now say: "I made a cake for my family."

Show answer

家族かぞくのためにケーキを作つくりました。 — 作つくる is an action, so this is benefit, not viewpoint. にとって cannot introduce an action.

3. What is wrong with 私わたしにとって日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします?

Show answer

勉強べんきょうします is an action. — Either drop it (私わたしは日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします) or turn the action into a noun and judge it: 私わたしにとって日本語にほんごの勉強べんきょうは楽たのしいです.

4. Say: "This exam is too hard for me."

Show answer

この試験しけんは私わたしにとって難むずかしすぎます。 — 難むずかしい is an evaluation, and にとって attaches straight to 私わたし with no の.

5. What does adding は do in 私わたしにとっては大おおきな問題もんだいです?

Show answer

It adds contrast. — "For me at least, whatever it may be for you." That is the same contrastive job は does elsewhere.

6. Rewrite in a warmer, spoken way: 子こどもにとってつまらないでしょう。

Show answer

子こどもにしたら、つまらないだろうね。 — にしたら steps into their feelings. にとって is the neutral form and fine in writing.

7. Choose: この点数てんすう( )合格ごうかくは難むずかしい。 にとって or からすると?

Show answer

からすると。 — A score is evidence, not a person with a viewpoint. からすると means "judging from."

8. Say: "For Japan, tourism is an important industry."

Show answer

日本にほんにとって、観光かんこうは重要じゅうような産業さんぎょうだ。 — Countries and companies have a stake, so they take にとって. 日本にほんにしたら would sound odd here.

9. Is 私わたしのにとって correct?

Show answer

No. — にとって attaches directly to the noun: 私わたしにとって. There is never a の in front of it.

10. In a business speech, how would you say "for our company, this is a welcome proposal"?

Show answer

弊社へいしゃにとりまして、大変たいへんありがたいお話はなしです。 — にとりまして is the formal dress of にとって, and 弊社へいしゃ is the humble word for one's own company.

FAQ

Is にとって the same as には? Close, and には is often the shorter everyday choice: 私わたしには難むずかしいです is natural and common. にとって is heavier and more explicit, which makes it the better choice in writing and whenever you are setting one viewpoint against another.

Can I use it with いい or 好すき? With いい, yes — 体からだにいい食べ物たべもの works, and 私わたしにとっていい選択せんたくです is fine. With 好すき it is usually unnecessary, because 好すき already belongs to the person feeling it. 私わたしは〜が好すきです is what you want.

Does にとって need a comma after it? Not required. A comma is common when the phrase opens the sentence and the sentence is long, purely for readability.

Is 〜にとって used in casual speech? Yes, but less often than in writing. In conversation people shorten to には or just use は. にとって appears when someone wants to mark the viewpoint deliberately.

What level is this grammar? It usually turns up around N3, though it is simple enough to use from much earlier. The hard part is not the form, it is resisting the pull of the English word "for."

How is it different from について? について means "about" — the topic of the discussion. にとって means "for" — whose judgement it is. 日本にほんについての本ほん is a book about Japan; 日本にほんにとって大切たいせつな本ほん is a book that matters to Japan. See について and として.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

にとって	にとって — for, from the standpoint of
のために	のために — for the benefit of, in order to
大切	たいせつ — important, precious
重要	じゅうよう — important, significant
必要	ひつよう — necessary
宝物	たからもの — treasure
思い出	おもいで — memory
忘れられない	わすれられない — unforgettable
試験	しけん — exam
技能	ぎのう — skill
産業	さんぎょう — industry
観光	かんこう — tourism
点数	てんすう — score, marks
合格	ごうかく — passing (an exam)
弊社	へいしゃ — our company (humble)
ありがたい	ありがたい — welcome, much appreciated
当然	とうぜん — natural, only to be expected
心配	しんぱい — worry

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. にとって is one of those points students can define perfectly and still misuse, because the English word "for" keeps pulling it toward sentences that need のために instead.

Book a trial lesson · $13

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N3

Want to try this in a real conversation?

30-minute trial lesson, $13. Times shown in your own timezone.

Book a trial lesson · $13