比如（说）/ 例如 bǐrú (shuō) / lìrú

比如（说）/ 例如（bǐrú (shuō) / lìrú）means “for example; such as — introduces one or more examples of what was just mentioned”. 比如 and 例如 both introduce examples of a general statement made just before. Formation: ……，比如（说）+ 例子 ／ ……，例如 + 例子

for example; such as — introduces one or more examples of what was just mentioned

HSK3

Formation

……，比如（说）+ 例子 ／ ……，例如 + 例子

Explanation

比如 and 例如 both introduce examples of a general statement made just before. 比如 is colloquial and can take an optional 说 (比如说), common in everyday speech. 例如 is more formal and written, and is often followed by a list of items.

Examples

我喜欢很多水果，比如 苹果、香蕉和西瓜。
wǒ xǐhuan hěn duō shuǐguǒ, bǐrú píngguǒ, xiāngjiāo hé xīguā
I like a lot of fruits, for example apples, bananas and watermelon.
这里有很多名胜古迹，例如 长城和故宫。
zhèlǐ yǒu hěn duō míngshèng gǔjì, lìrú chángchéng hé gùgōng
There are many scenic and historic sites here, such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

Note

比如 (spoken, +说 optional) vs 例如 (written, more formal). Both list examples; put them before the examples, not after.

FAQ

比如（说）/ 例如 — what does it mean and how is it used?

for example; such as — introduces one or more examples of what was just mentioned. 比如 and 例如 both introduce examples of a general statement made just before. 比如 is colloquial and can take an optional 说 (比如说), common in everyday speech. 例如 is more formal and written, and is often followed by a list of items.

比如（说）/ 例如 — how do you form it?

……，比如（说）+ 例子 ／ ……，例如 + 例子

比如（说）/ 例如 — any usage notes?

比如 (spoken, +说 optional) vs 例如 (written, more formal). Both list examples; put them before the examples, not after.

Learn in the app →