たとえば: 'For Example' / 'For Instance'
What it means
たとえば is a connector you put at the start of a sentence (or clause) to introduce a concrete example of something you just said in general terms. It answers the unspoken question "like what?"
The flow is almost always two parts:
- A general statement.
- たとえば + a specific instance that illustrates it.
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.
Register is neutral: たとえば is equally at home in casual speech, classroom explanation, essays, and formal writing. It's one of the most common connectors in Japanese, so you'll see it constantly.
How to form it
たとえば is a fixed adverbial connector — it doesn't conjugate. You just place it where the example begins.
| 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 key habit to build: the general statement comes first, then たとえば introduces the sample.
たとえば〜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 the example. This signals that what follows is one or more representative items, 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.
たとえば vs たとえ — don't mix them up
These two look almost identical but mean completely different things:
- たとえば (例えば) = "for example." Introduces a concrete instance. It stands alone at the start 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 to a real example of something, it's たとえば.
Common mistakes
- Confusing たとえば with たとえ. たとえば = "for example"; たとえ〜ても = "even if." Writing たとえば雨が降っても (intending "even if it rains") is wrong — drop the ば: たとえ雨が降っても.
- Putting the example before the general statement. The order is general → たとえば → specific. Don't lead with the example and tack on たとえば afterward.
- Forgetting that the example is a sample, not the whole point. Pair it with など/といった when you mean "things like X," so the listener knows it's illustrative: たとえばバナナなど.
- Using たとえば to mean "let's say / suppose." For a hypothetical "suppose that…," Japanese tends to use 仮に or もし〜たら. たとえば is for citing an example, not setting up a hypothesis (though it can shade that way in casual speech).
Quick recap
- 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.
Your turn
Pick the sentence where たとえば is used correctly to introduce an example.
Start the 5-question drill →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.