Preposition dilemma: "new to me" or "new for me"

Question

Very soon I realised that the task was new to OR for me.

Which is the correct preposition to use in this sentence: to or for ?

See this question http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/95080/you-must-wear-a-suit-to-an-interview-vs-you-must-wear-a-suit-for-an-interview/95083 — eques, Oct 28 '16 at 20:20

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 28 '16 at 21:44

2

The idiom is "new to somebody", so the more natural form is "The task was new to me".

The alternative, "The task was new for me" is grammatical, but less natural.

answered Oct 28 '16 at 21:44

Colin Fine

1 Answers1