Kind To: Standard Pattern
Kind To: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.
Use “kind to” before the person or other recipient who is treated with kindness.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| recipient of kindness | kind to + person/recipient | Use “to” before the recipient. |
| different sense or construction | other wording | Choose wording that matches the intended meaning rather than forcing this pattern. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the person or recipient who is treated with kindness?
If yes: Use “kind to.”
If no: Use another construction if you are not naming the recipient.
Caveat: This page covers the standard adjective + preposition pattern, not every sense of “kind.”
Examples
She was kind to the new student.
The recipient follows “to.”
Please be kind to yourself.
The person receiving the kindness follows “to.”
The volunteers were kind to every visitor.
The pattern is “kind to + recipient.”
Further guidance
Construction
Use “kind to” before the person or other recipient who is treated with kindness.
Style Boundary
Cambridge also documents “kind of you” for describing a considerate action; this guide is limited to the recipient-target “kind to” construction.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Kind (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct learner-dictionary evidence for kind to before the recipient or target of kindness.