If you’re unsure about the differences between “to me,” “for me,” and “as for me” in the sentences above, read on…

The phrases “to me,” “for me,” and “as for me” are all used to express personal opinions, preferences, or perspectives in slightly different ways.

To Me

This phrase is used to indicate a personal opinion or belief about something. It emphasizes the speaker’s subjective viewpoint. In other words, you could substitute ‘I think’ for ‘to me.’ For example:

• To me, this is a great opportunity. (= In my opinion, this is a great opportunity.)
• To me, this movie is the best one in the series. (= I think, this movie is the best one in the series.)
• This, to me, is a tragic but a solvable problem. (≈ To my mind, this is a tragic but a solvable problem.)

‘To me’ often ends a sentence. For example:

• That looks like evidence of a struggler to me. (= To me, that looks like evidence of a struggle.)
• That doesn’t sound like the truth to me. (= To me, that doesn’t sound like the truth.)
• That movie wasn’t very exciting, to me. (= To my mind, that movie wasn’t very exciting.)

For Me

‘For me’ is typically used to indicate how something affects or benefits the speaker personally. For example:

• For me, this is not a problem. (= I don’t see it as a problem.)
• For me, this is a relief. (= This makes me relieved.)
• For me, studying early in the morning works best. (= Studying early in the morning works best for me personally. I can clearly see the benefits of it for myself.)

So, sometimes ‘to me’ and ‘for me’ are interchangeable, but remember the slight difference in meaning: ‘for me’ focuses on how something affects or benefits someone, while ‘to me’ is about someone’s opinion or interpretation. Compare:

1. For me, this is not a problem. (This sentence indicates that the speaker personally does not find the situation troublesome or challenging.) / To me, this is not a problem. (This sentence indicates that, from the speaker’s perspective or understanding, the situation does not pose an issue.)
2. For me, this is a relief. (This sentence indicates that the situation or outcome brings relief to the speaker personally. It emphasizes the emotional or psychological impact on the speaker.) / To me, this is a relief. (This sentence indicates that, from the speaker’s perspective or understanding, the situation or outcome is perceived as relieving. It emphasizes the speaker’s opinion or interpretation of the situation, but it may not concern them personally.)

As For Me

This phrase is used to introduce the speaker’s own opinion or viewpoint in a conversation. It often contrasts with or introduces a different perspective compared to others. For example,

• I know you’re a fool for red meat. As for me, I like chicken better than beef. (= While you enjoy red mean, I prefer chicken.)
• She’s such a ray of sunshine. As for me, I’m grumpy, especially in the morning. (= She’s such a ray of sunshine. Well, I am rather different, especially in the morning.)
• They are giving so much thought to the renovation of the house. As for me, I couldn’t care less. (= They are giving so much thought to the renovation of the house, and I, on the other hand, couldn’t care less.)

If you want to learn more handy expressions for expressing opinions, check out our post on alternatives to ‘I think’.

Practice

And now let’s practice today’s phrases. Click the link here and choose the right phrase: to me, for me, or as for me.