Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

How to use respectful with prepositions

Respectful can be followed by of or to, but the meanings are slightly different.

Quick answer

Meaning difference

Use respectful of for awareness and consideration of rules, feelings, or traditions. Use respectful to for polite behaviour toward people.

We should be respectful of local customs.
The students were respectful to their teacher.
She remained respectful of his privacy.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
respectful of + thing

Showing consideration or awareness

Of commonly introduces feelings, traditions, rights, or limits.

The company is respectful of cultural differences.
2
respectful to + person

Showing polite behaviour toward someone

To refers to conduct directed at people.

He was always respectful to elderly neighbours.
3
respectful towards + person

Alternative wording with people

Towards is also possible when describing attitude or behaviour.

The staff were respectful towards visitors.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
respectful of
They are respectful of her wishes.
Shows consideration for something.
respectful to
The child was respectful to his grandparents.
Shows polite behaviour toward people.
respectful towards
She is respectful towards colleagues.
Alternative to respectful to.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of with people in all contexts

Of is more natural with feelings, rights, and customs.

✕ He was respectful of his teacher. ✓ He was respectful to his teacher.

Using to with abstract nouns

To usually refers to people.

✕ We must be respectful to local traditions. ✓ We must be respectful of local traditions.

Confusing respectful and respective

Respectful means polite; respective has a different meaning.

✕ They were respective to the guests. ✓ They were respectful to the guests.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Please be respectful ___ the local community.
2. The article was respectful ___ religious beliefs.
3. Staff should remain respectful ___ all customers.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between respectful of and respectful to?

Respectful of refers to consideration for things such as rights or traditions, while respectful to refers to behaviour toward people.

Can I use respectful towards?

Yes. Respectful towards is a common alternative when talking about people.

Is respectful of a person wrong?

It is possible in some contexts, but respectful to is usually more natural for behaviour toward people.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? ready for, to, in, at or by? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? rearing of, as or on?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account