たとえば: 'For Example' / 'For Instance'
The "like what?" connector
たとえば is the word you reach for the moment a general statement invites the question "like what?" You say something broad, then open the next sentence with たとえば and hand over a concrete case that illustrates it. The shape is almost always two beats: a general claim first, then たとえば + a specific instance.
ヤッタンは運動が好きだ。たとえば、毎朝走っている。
ヤッタンは うんどうが すきだ。たとえば、まいあさ はしっている。
Yattan likes exercise. For example, he runs every morning.
この町には古い建物が多い。たとえば、あのお寺は400年前のものだ。
この まちには ふるい たてものが おおい。たとえば、あの おてらは よんひゃくねんまえの ものだ。
This town has many old buildings. For instance, that temple is 400 years old.
モチはいろいろな言語を勉強している。たとえば、日本語や韓国語などだ。
モチは いろいろな げんごを べんきょうしている。たとえば、にほんごや かんこくごなどだ。
Mochi is studying various languages — for example, Japanese, Korean, and so on.
たとえば pairs naturally with や…など to list sample items.
Because it does nothing but signpost an example, たとえば is register-neutral: equally at home in casual chat, classroom explanation, essays, and formal writing. It's one of the most frequent connectors in the language, so you'll meet it everywhere.
Where you slot it in
たとえば is a fixed adverbial connector — it never conjugates. All you decide is where the example begins, and you drop it there.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence start (most common) | 〔general〕。たとえば、〜。 | 安い店が多い。たとえば、あの店だ。 |
| Mid-sentence, before the example | 〜、たとえば〜 | スポーツ、たとえばサッカーが好きだ。 |
| With など / といった (very common) | たとえば〜など / たとえば〜といった〜 | たとえばりんごやみかんなどの果物 |
The comma after たとえば is normal in writing but optional. The one habit worth drilling: the general statement leads, then たとえば brings in the sample — never the reverse.
Framing the sample with など / といった
たとえば very often works as a frame with 〜など ("and so on / things like") or 〜といった ("such as") closing off the example. That tail tells the listener what follows is one representative item among others, not an exhaustive list:
先生は分かりやすい例を出す。たとえば、漫画やアニメなどだ。
せんせいは わかりやすい れいを だす。たとえば、まんがや アニメなどだ。
The teacher gives easy-to-understand examples — for instance, manga, anime, and the like.
弟はあまい物が好きだ。たとえば、チョコレートといったお菓子だ。
おとうとは あまいものが すきだ。たとえば、チョコレートといった おかしだ。
My little brother likes sweet things — sweets such as chocolate, for example.
たとえば〜といった〜 = 'such as X' modifying a following noun.
If you want to review how といった works as a quoting/listing device, see 〜という.
The たとえ〜ても look-alike
たとえば and たとえ sit one kana apart and mean nothing alike, which is exactly why they get swapped:
- たとえば (例えば) = "for example." Introduces a concrete instance and stands alone at the head of a clause.
- たとえ〜ても／でも = "even if." A conditional set-up that needs a 〜ても ending to complete it.
たとえ雨が降っても、試合は行う。
たとえ あめが ふっても、しあいは おこなう。
Even if it rains, the match will be held.
This is たとえ…ても — 'even if' — NOT たとえば 'for example.'
Quick test: if you can finish the thought with 〜ても/でも and it means "even if," it's たとえ. If you're pointing at a real example of something, it's たとえば. Writing たとえば雨が降っても for "even if it rains" is the classic slip — drop the ば.
Where learners still trip
- Ordering the example before the claim. The flow is general → たとえば → specific. Don't lead with the instance and bolt たとえば on afterward.
- Dropping the "sample" signal. When you mean "things like X," pair it with など/といった so the listener hears it as illustrative: たとえばバナナなど.
- Stretching it to mean "let's say / suppose." For a hypothetical "suppose that…," Japanese leans on 仮に or もし〜たら. たとえば cites an example, not a hypothesis — though it can shade that way in casual speech.
The gist
- たとえば (例えば) = "for example / for instance."
- Pattern: general statement → たとえば → concrete example.
- It's a fixed connector at the start of the example clause; it doesn't conjugate.
- Often framed with 〜など or 〜といった to mark a representative sample.
- たとえ〜ても ("even if") is a totally different pattern — keep them apart.
Practice it
Pick the sentence where たとえば is used correctly to introduce an example.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、標本はいくつですか。
Frequently asked questions
Does たとえば mean 'even if'?
No — that's たとえ (with 〜ても/でも): たとえ雨が降っても ('even if it rains'). たとえば means 'for example' and introduces a concrete instance. They look similar but are different patterns.
Where does たとえば go in a sentence?
Usually at the very start of the sentence or clause that gives the example, right after a general statement: 果物が好きだ。たとえば、りんごをよく食べる。
Why is たとえば so often used with など?
など ('and so on') signals that the example is just one representative item, not a complete list. たとえばバナナなど means 'things like bananas, for example.'
Is たとえば formal or casual?
It's register-neutral — natural in everyday conversation, classroom explanations, essays, and formal writing alike. It's one of the most common connectors in Japanese.
Where たとえば fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Conditional 〜たら · N4 — 〜たら is Japanese's most flexible conditional: just add ら to the plain past. Learn the formation, the 'if/when' meaning, the discovery use, and how it beats ば/と for requests.
- です · N5 — です is the polite 'to be': NOUN/な-adjective + です means 'is/are.' Learn the negative じゃありません, past でした, how です attaches to い-adjectives, and the plain だ.
- Past Tense · N5 — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.
Don't confuse it with
- Conditional 〜たら · N4 — 〜たら is Japanese's most flexible conditional: just add ら to the plain past. Learn the formation, the 'if/when' meaning, the discovery use, and how it beats ば/と for requests.
- 〜という · N3 — 〜という names things (「ヤッタン」という犬), wraps hearsay (来ないという), and packages a clause into a noun (失敗したという事実). Learn all three N3 uses.
More N3 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜てこそ — 〜てこそ marks an action as the indispensable basis for a good result: 努力してこそ成功する ('only by trying hard do you succeed'). Learn the formation, nuance, and pitfalls.
- 〜てみせる — 〜てみせる has two senses: demonstrating something by actually doing it, and a strong vow ('I'll do it, just watch'). Learn formation, both meanings, and てみる vs てみせる.
- 〜てしょうがない・〜てしかたがない — 〜てしょうがない and 〜てしかたがない attach to the て-form to say a feeling is unbearable: 会いたくてしょうがない, 暑くてしかたがない. Learn the form, register, and nuance.
- 〜てたまらない — 〜てたまらない attaches to the て-form of an adjective or verb to mean unbearably / so ... that I can't stand it — an overwhelming emotion or physical sensation.
- 〜てはいられない — 〜てはいられない attaches to the て-form to say you can't afford to stay in a state or keep doing something — there's no time or leisure for it. 泣いてはいられない = 'I can't afford to keep crying.'
- 〜とともに — 〜とともに (と共に) means 'together with,' 'at the same time as a change,' or 'both A and B.' Learn the three senses, the noun/verb formation, and its formal register.