When do we use "to me" and "for me"?

[Sky]

When do we use "to me" and "for me"?

[Joe Carillo]

We use “to me,” as in “She gave the apple to me,” to indicate movement or action toward yourself; “for me,” as in “She reserved the apple for me,” to indicate that the object or recipient of an action is yourself. The important thing to remember is that in general, “to” is a preposition for indicating movement toward a place, person, or thing, while “for” is a preposition for indicating the object or recipient of a perception, desire, or activity as well as for indicating purpose or intended goal.

[Sky]

Where my confusion often rises about these two phrases is when they are fronted in a sentence. Are they interchangeable?

[Joe Carillo]

Yes, when fronted in a sentence, “to me” and “for me” are sometimes the same in meaning and are interchangeable. We can see this in statements like “To me, steamed fish is best served with soy sauce” and “For me, steamed fish is best served with soy sauce.” In such cases, “to me” and “for me” are equivalent in denoting personal choice, not sense of movement or action toward yourself nor the sense of indicating purpose or intended goal.