matter to
matter to — phrasal verb
- matter tobase form
- matters to3rd person singular
- mattering to-ing form
- mattered topast simple
1. When something matters to a person, that person feels it is significant or worth
When something matters to a person, that person feels it is significant or worth caring about — it has a real effect on their feelings, choices, or happiness.
Mira turned down the job because the long commute mattered too much to her family.
pattern: [something] matter(s) to [someone] + reason clause
Mathieu said it did not matter to him where they ate, as long as everyone was happy.
negative form: did not matter + to + pronoun + wh-clause
Bilal's grandmother told him that honesty matters more to her than winning any prize.
comparative: matters more to [someone] than [something]
Ava said she did not care about the money, but the friendship mattered deeply to her.
adverb: matters deeply to [someone]
Putri asked her brother whether it mattered to him if she borrowed his bicycle.
indirect question: whether it mattered to [someone]
- matter a lot to
- matter deeply to
- not matter to
- matter more to … than
- really matter to
- be important to
more general; can be used in any register where 'matter to' fits
- count
slightly more informal; often used in phrases like 'that's what counts'
- weigh on
stronger emotional tone — suggests worry or burden, not just importance
- be unimportant to
direct opposite; less common in everyday speech
- not concern
implies the person has no interest or involvement
Grammar Patterns
[something] matter(s) to [someone]
[something] does/doesn't matter to [someone]
Usage Note
This verb is always intransitive — the subject is the thing that is important, and the person affected follows 'to'. Common in both positive and negative statements. In everyday conversation, negative forms (doesn't matter / didn't matter) are even more frequent than positive ones.