Level 5 · Advanced
As for: 至于
Deal with X。至于 + Y，+ Comment · Traditional: Deal with X。至於 + Y，+ Comment
至于 (zhìyú) shelves one topic and picks up the next: 你先决定去不去，至于怎么去，我们再商量 "first decide whether you're going — as for how, we'll figure that out later." It signals "that's a separate question."
The topic after 至于 must already be hovering in the conversation; 至于 can't introduce something out of thin air. (Bonus: 不至于 is its own phrase — "it won't come to that.")
Examples
你先决定去不去，至于怎么去，我们再商量。
你先決定去不去，至於怎麼去，我們再商量。
nǐ xiān jué dìng qù bù qù zhì yú zěn me qù wǒ men zài shāng liang
First decide if you're going — as for how, we can discuss that later.
我只负责做饭，至于洗碗，是他的事。
我只負責做飯，至於洗碗，是他的事。
wǒ zhǐ fù zé zuò fàn zhì yú xǐ wǎn shì tā de shì
I only handle the cooking — as for dishes, that's his department.
这个周末先去看爸妈，至于旅行，下个月再说。
這個週末先去看爸媽，至於旅行，下個月再說。
zhè ge zhōu mò xiān qù kàn bà mā zhì yú lǚ xíng xià gè yuè zài shuō
This weekend we'll visit my parents first — as for the trip, next month.
房子已经找好了，至于家具，慢慢买就行。
房子已經找好了，至於家具，慢慢買就行。
fáng zi yǐ jīng zhǎo hǎo le zhì yú jiā jù màn màn mǎi jiù xíng
The apartment is settled — as for furniture, we can buy that bit by bit.
Common mistakes
✗ 至于天气，今天很好。
✓ 今天天气很好。
至于 hands off from one known topic to another — it can't open a conversation cold.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like Pictures vs. Reality (Part 2) inside the Literate Chinese app.
