In relation to / to (之于)

Structure A + 之于 + B，犹如 / 如同 …

之于 (zhī yú) topicalizes the RELATION of A to B and usually sets up a comparison: "what A is to B". A 之于 B is stated first as the topic, then spelled out with 犹如, 如同 or 好比: 兴趣之于学习，犹如引擎之于汽车 = "interest is to study what the engine is to a car". It is a distinctly literary frame, at home in essays and oratory, combining cultured 之 (of) with postverbal 于 (with respect to). It is not used in ordinary speech, where one would say 对 A 来说 or 对于.

Examples

兴xìng趣qù之zhī于yú学xué习xí，犹yóu如rú引yǐn擎qíng之zhī于yú汽qì车chē。
Interest is to learning what the engine is to a car.
水shuǐ之zhī于yú鱼yú，正zhèng如rú空kōng气qì之zhī于yú人rén。
Water is to fish what air is to humans.
诚chéng信xìn之zhī于yú商shāng人rén，重zhòng于yú生shēng命mìng。
For a merchant, integrity weighs more than life itself.
自zì由yóu之zhī于yú艺yì术shù家jiā，犹yóu如rú阳yáng光guāng之zhī于yú花huā朵duǒ。
Freedom is to the artist what sunlight is to flowers.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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