对于....而言 - exclusively written form?

[Scoobyqueen]

Can you use 对于....而言 in spoken mandarin? And also which is most common:

就。。。。。而言

or

对于。。。。而言

Thank you in advance.

[muyongshi]

对于。。。。而言 is definitely the most common. In spoken form you would say 对于。。。来说 however you can use 对于。。。而言 if you so choose. There is no rule but it would probably be in a more formal context. I have also heard a person use it in a romantic setting but he may have just been copying it of an advertisement (对这个世界而言、你是一个人，但对于我你是整个世界).

[lewellyn]

对于（就）……而言，both can be used in formal writing and speaking, and have exactly the same meaning. However 对于……而言is more commen. I live in Shanghai, and people here seldem speak 就……而言 in local speaking. In informal speaking, you may alter 对于……而言 to 对……来说。

[Mugi]

In my experience, …而言 is practically never used in informal language in northern China. However, you hear it quite often south of the Yangtze.

[lewellyn]

言 is the official and literary form of 说. In acient literary Chinese there appears no character of 说 in the express of say or speak but 言and 曰（yue 1） stand for such meanings instead. Howerver 说 may refer to 悦 in the express of happy in acient Chinese. So if you write 而言 it should be in a very formal materal. In Shanghai people rarely say 对……而言 in local speaking but 就……来Gang. Gang is the Shanghai tongue of 说. Hope this helps.

[Annaliu]

I would like to analyse the meaning of 就……而言 and 对于……而言，just my opinion.

Firstly, In Chinese, 就……而言 and 对于……而言 used in Written, the meaning is same.

针对某些人或行为发表自己的看法，to express opinion according to somebody's action or viewpoint, it is an adverbial protasis, in the middle is object.

For example:

1) 就他的水平而言，很难通过考试。 According to his level, it is difficult to pass this exam.

In this sentence, 他的水平is object, 就他的水平而言 is adverbial protasis, 很难通过考试 is the content of said.

Second, 就……来说 is more used in Spoken Chinese. Because 言 is 说.

言 is Written Chinese and 说 is Spoken Chinese.

For example:

2) 就他的水平来说，很难通过考试。

Please help to compare the expression.