Prepositions · CEFR A2
“Interested on” or “interested in”? Correct preposition
Incorrect
interested on
Correct
interested in
Use “interested in”: “I’m interested in history.” “Interested on” and “interested about” are both incorrect.
The rule
Interested is followed by in plus a noun or an -ing verb: interested in music, interested in learning Japanese.
If you want an infinitive, the meaning changes slightly: “I’d be interested to hear your opinion” means you would like to hear it now.
Don’t confuse interested (how you feel) with interesting (what causes the feeling): “I’m interested in the book because it’s interesting.”
Examples
✗ I’m interested on politics.
✓ I’m interested in politics.
✗ She is interested about photography.
✓ She is interested in photography.
✗ Are you interested on join us?
✓ Are you interested in joining us?
Use -ing after in.
Why learners make this mistake
Portuguese interessado em and Spanish interesado en map to “in”, but learners often mix up in and on because both translate the same word in their language.
Remember
You are interested IN a topic - you want to get inside it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is “interested for” ever correct?
- No. Use “interested in”.
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