Translation guide
This guide covers how to express 'for instance' or 'for example' in Japanese, from common spoken phrases to formal written patterns.
Introduce a casual example in everyday speech.
The most common and versatile way to say 'for example' or 'for instance'. Used in both casual and formal contexts.
例えば、週末は何をしますか？
For instance, what do you do on weekends?
Hiragana version of 例えば, equally common and slightly more casual in feel.
たとえば、こんな感じ。
For instance, like this.
Literally 'if I give an example', slightly more explicit. Common in presentations or explanations.
例を挙げると、東京や大阪が大都市です。
To give an example, Tokyo and Osaka are major cities.
Introduce a list of examples, often with 'such as' or 'like'.
Use や to list examples and など to mean 'and so on' or 'etc.' This is the standard way to give non-exhaustive examples.
果物や野菜などを食べます。
I eat things like fruit and vegetables.
Casual listing particle, similar to 'like' or 'such as'. Often used in spoken Japanese.
休みの日は、映画を見るとか、買い物に行くとかしてる。
On my days off, I do things like watch movies or go shopping.
Introduce an example in formal writing, speeches, or academic contexts.
Still the standard in formal writing. Often followed by a comma or period.
例えば、以下のデータを参照してください。
For instance, please refer to the data below.
Means 'as one example'. More formal and often used in reports or presentations.
一例として、昨年の売上を示します。
As an example, I'll show last year's sales.
Very formal, 'to illustrate with an example'. Used in academic or technical writing.
例示すると、この理論は次のように適用される。
To illustrate, this theory is applied as follows.
Highlight a concrete case or instance, often to clarify a point.
Means 'specifically' or 'to be specific'. Used when you want to give a concrete example after a general statement.
問題があります。具体的には、予算が足りません。
There's a problem. Specifically, we don't have enough budget.
Similar to 例を挙げると but emphasizes 'one example'. Slightly more formal.
一例を挙げると、この製品は環境に優しいです。
To give one example, this product is environmentally friendly.
例えば introduces a general example, while 具体的には narrows down to a specific instance. Use 例えば for broad illustrations and 具体的には when you need to clarify with a concrete detail.
例えば、日本料理が好きです。
For instance, I like Japanese food.
具体的には、寿司とラーメンが好きです。
Specifically, I like sushi and ramen.
In Japanese, starting every example with 例えば can sound repetitive. Vary with patterns like ～や～など or ～とか～とか, or simply state the example without a lead-in phrase.
例えば、どんな音楽が好きですか？
For instance, what kind of music do you like?
問題がたくさんあります。例えば、人手不足です。
There are many problems, for instance, the lack of staff.