に向いている details
is suited to N; is cut out for N
この教材は初心者に向いている。
kono kyouzai wa shoshinshanimuiteiru.
This material is suited to beginners. neutral
君、こういう細かい作業に向いてるね。
kimi, kou iu komakai sagyou ni muiteru ne.
You're really cut out for this kind of fiddly work, aren't you. casual
- contraction
- alternant
- adnominal
- negative
- past
- polite
Examples
is suited to N — the thing or person happens to be a good match for a job, a use or a group of users
この教材は初心者に向いている。
kono kyouzai wa shoshinshanimuiteiru.
This material is suited to beginners. neutral
君、こういう細かい作業に向いてるね。
kimi, kou iu komakai sagyou ni muiteru ne.
You're really cut out for this kind of fiddly work, aren't you. casual
正直、自分は営業には向いていないと思う。
shoujiki, jibun wa eigyou ni wa muite inai to omou.
Honestly, I don't think I'm cut out for sales. neutral
この土地は水はけがよく、果樹の栽培に向いております。
kono tochi wa mizuhake ga yoku, kaju no saibai ni muite orimasu.
This land drains well and is well suited to growing fruit trees. formal
Formation
{N}に向いているattaches to noun
Variant notes
- に向いてる — い drops in speech — 通訳の仕事、田中さんに向いてると思うよ。
- に向かない — the bare negative, and the everyday one — 私にはこの仕事は向かない。Blunter than 向いていない。
- に向いた — what goes directly in front of the noun — 彼に向いた仕事を探す。
Notes
向いている, not ×君に向く。Expository writing does predicate
the bare verb (この土地は稲作に向く), and the negative
goes bare either way — 向かない。
Related patterns
Similar
N向きの〜 labels a thing by the audience it belongs to and sits in front of a noun (初心者向きのコース); に向いている states the fit as a fact about one particular thing or person and can be denied where it stands (私には向いていない), which 向き cannot do on its own — it is a noun, so denying it takes a copula (この本は初心者向きではない).
向け claims somebody designed it for that audience (子供向けの番組); に向いている claims only that it happens to fit, with no designer in sight — a mountain path can be 初心者に向いている, but calling it 初心者向け says someone laid it out for them.
Lookalikes
Same verb 向く, and the tail decides — に向かって points a body or a movement at something (黒板に向かって座る) and says nothing about fitness, while に向いている is about being a good match; 向いている does keep a literal "faces that way" reading too (窓は南に向いている), which the surrounding noun settles.