be obvious for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be obvious for" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate phrase would be "be obvious to." Example: "It should be obvious to everyone that teamwork is essential for success."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

The full consequences of that will not be obvious for a long time.

The Economist

Will it be obvious, for instance, how quickly the allocations become more conservative?

The New York Times

This would be obvious for things like climate, which will clearly be the same over limited geographic areas.

Columbia University

Furthermore, the shear deformation effect would be obvious for a Timoshenko nanobeam in contrast to an Eulerian one.

International Journal of Mechanical Sciences

Perestroika is really a quiet revolution whose vast opportunities will not be obvious for some 20 years.

Harvard Business Review

Dr. Nicolosi, of Trinity College, said that advances in storage technologies like batteries may not be obvious for several years.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

That's obvious for everybody," he said.

The Guardian

But this has been obvious for years.

The Guardian - Opinion

Assad's brutality has been obvious for years.

The New Yorker

"It's been obvious for a long time," he said.

The New York Times

But the trend has been obvious for a while.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "to" instead of "for" when indicating who or what something is obvious to. For example, prefer "It should be obvious to everyone" over "It should be obvious for everyone."

Common error

Avoid using "for" after "obvious" when indicating the recipient of the obviousness. "For" introduces ambiguity, suggesting purpose rather than the intended audience or observer. Using "to" ensures clarity and grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be obvious for" is typically used to express that something is easily perceived or understood by someone. However, it's grammatically flawed. Ludwig AI indicates that using the preposition "to" is the correct form, as in "be obvious to."

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

36%

Academia

14%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Encyclopedias

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "be obvious for" appears frequently across various sources, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI advises using "be obvious to" instead, as the preposition "to" correctly indicates the recipient of the obviousness. Although the phrase is common in News & Media and Science contexts, it is advisable to avoid it in formal writing. Remember to use "to" rather than "for" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity. Alternatives include "be apparent to", "be clear to", and "be evident to".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be obvious to

Replaces 'for' with 'to', which is the grammatically correct preposition in this context.

be apparent to

Substitutes "obvious" with "apparent", indicating something easily perceived, and uses the correct preposition.

be clear to

Replaces "obvious" with "clear", emphasizing ease of understanding, and uses the correct preposition.

be evident to

Uses "evident" instead of "obvious", suggesting something easily seen or understood, and uses the correct preposition.

be plain to

Employs "plain" instead of "obvious", conveying simplicity and clarity, and uses the correct preposition.

be manifest to

Replaces "obvious" with "manifest", indicating something clearly revealed, and uses the correct preposition.

be visible to

Substitutes "obvious" with "visible", focusing on something being easily seen, and uses the correct preposition.

be discernible to

Uses "discernible" instead of "obvious", suggesting something that can be recognized or distinguished, and uses the correct preposition.

be perceptible to

Replaces "obvious" with "perceptible", focusing on something that can be noticed or felt, and uses the correct preposition.

be understandable to

Substitutes "obvious" with "understandable", emphasizing ease of comprehension, and uses the correct preposition.

FAQs

What's the correct preposition to use after "obvious"?

The correct preposition to use after "obvious" when indicating to whom something is apparent is "to". So, you should say "obvious to" rather than "obvious for".

What can I say instead of "be obvious for"?

You can use alternatives like "be obvious to", "be clear to", or "be apparent to" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "be obvious for" or "be obvious to"?

"Be obvious to" is the grammatically correct phrase. "Be obvious for" is generally considered incorrect in standard written English.

How can I use "obvious" correctly in a sentence?

Ensure that you use the correct preposition. Instead of saying, "It's obvious for me", say, "It's obvious to me". Similarly, "The solution is obvious to everyone" is correct.