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I am not certain how to say "X is the most important for Y". For example, "A teacher is the most important person for a student." It could be 「先生は学生にいちばんたいせつな人です」　or 「がくせいは先生がいちばんたいせつな人です」, but I haven't been able to confirm either (or any other construct) in any way.

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"A teacher is the most important person for a student"

Becomes...

"A teacher is the most important person from the point of view of a student"

... and then...

"Teacherはstudentのviewから見るとmost importantなpersonです。"

"Teacherはstudentの視点から見ると最もimportantな人物です。"

"先生は学生の視点から見ると最も重要な人物です。"

"先生は学生にとって最も重要な人物です。"

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    Think about 「先生は学生にいちばんたいせつな人です」　or 「がくせいは先生がいちばんたいせつな人です」, 「先生は学生にいちばんたいせつな人です」is better. Because, this sentence's Main Subject(主語) is Teacher.
    – shogochiai
    May 10, 2014 at 7:05
  • 「先生は学生にいちばんたいせつな人です」 is worse than 「先生は学生にとって最も重要な人です」. Because「for = にとって」can more explain whose point of view or not.
    – shogochiai
    May 10, 2014 at 7:07
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    And, いちばん should be 最も、たいせつ should be 重要. Because, 一番 and 大切 is little mild, gently, young expression.
    – shogochiai
    May 10, 2014 at 7:09
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    Welcome, shogochiai, to Japanese Language & Usage! Just as a note, there is no need to say you are Japanese. When you're right, you're right, and it won't matter who you are :). As native speaker, your knowledge of Japanese will be obvious. I hope you enjoy using JLU.
    – Questioner
    May 10, 2014 at 8:29
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    @miikaelf にとって is a fixed expression, meaning something like "concerning, regarding, for, ...".
    – Earthliŋ ♦
    May 10, 2014 at 15:17
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Both 「先生は学生にいちばんたいせつな人です」and「がくせいは先生がいちばんたいせつな人です」are good, but 先生は 学生に とって いちばん… would be better and 「がくせいは先生がいちばんたいせつな人です」 are ambiguous because it can mean ...

  1. Students are people for whom their teacher is most important.
  2. Students are people who find their teacher most important.
  3. Students are people whom the teacher find most important.
  4. Students think of their teacher as the most important person.
  5. For students, their teachers are the most important person.
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XX is the most important [noun] for YY.

For "(person A) is the most important person for (person B)", you can say:

まささんは、ちよこさんにとって[一番]{いちばん}[大切]{たいせつ}な人です。
ジュリエットは、ロミオにとって一番[大事]{だいじ}な人です。
[母]{はは}は、私にとって[最]{もっと}も大切な人です。
[妻]{つま}は、[僕]{ぼく}にとって最も大事な人です。etc.

... rather than まささんは、ちよこさんにとって最も[重要]{じゅうよう}な[人物]{じんぶつ}です。... probably because 大事な人/大切な人 sound more personal.

You'd rather use 最も重要な人物 in:

彼は[我]{わ}が[社]{しゃ}にとって最も重要な人物です。
(He is the most important person for our company.)

For "XX is the most important for YY", you can say like:

デッサンは、[美術]{びじゅつ}を[学]{まな}ぶ人にとって最も重要/大切/一番大事etc.です。
(Dessin is the most important for art students.)
[料理人]{りょうりにん}にとって、[嗅覚]{きゅうかく}は最も重要/大切/一番大事etc.です。
(For a cook, sense of smell is the most important.)

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