To or for

[ROBINDESBOIS]

When do I suse to or for after an adjective. For example.
This is very important for me.
He is very nice to me.

Is there a rule to use o e or the other depending on the adjective?

[Rusty]

You can use either 'important for me' and 'important to me', but they don't mean the same thing.
Likewise, 'nice to me' and 'nice for me' don't mean the same thing.

If a child acts nice with one teacher, but not for another, the first would remark, "He is very nice for me," should the second state that she is having issues with the child's behavior.
If a child gives his teacher an apple every week, she could say, "He is very nice to me."

'important for me' = I should do this - it's good for me
'important to me' = I care about this - it's interesting to me

Which meaning you want to convey is the difference.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Are there any adjectives that can only take one or the other?

[Rusty]

In Spanish, the preposition a is used quite often, while its English translation can be several different prepositions, including 'of' or 'for'.
This is evidence that there is a different meaning associated with 'of' and 'for'. They are never interchangeable in English.

The prepositions used in Spanish and the prepositions used in English are seldom the same. That's why we have so many questions about them. ;)

The preposition 'to' often indicates movement and 'for' often indicates purpose, but there are many other meanings, upwards of 20, for each preposition!


Here's a little reminder that Spanish and English don't use the same prepositions.

en el parque = in the park
en la mesa = on the table
en casa = at home
en tren = by train

ir al parque = go to the park
acercarse al parque = get near the park
sentarse a la mesa = sit at the table
a mano = by hand
a tiempo = on time
escribir a lápiz = write with a pencil
escribir a Juan = write John