例たとえる

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Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

例える · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	例たとえる	例たとえない
Polite	例たとえます	例たとえません
Past polite	例たとえました	例たとえませんでした
Past	例たとえた	例たとえなかった
Te-form	例たとえて	例たとえないで
Desire	例たとえたい	例たとえたくない
Potential	例たとえられるalso 例たとえれる	例たとえられないalso 例たとえれない
Passive	例たとえられる	例たとえられない
Causative	例たとえさせる	例たとえさせない
Causative passive	例たとえさせられる	例たとえさせられない
Volitional	例たとえよう
Polite volitional	例たとえましょう
Imperative	例たとえろ	例たとえるな
Conditional	例たとえれば	例たとえなければ
Tara conditional	例たとえたら	例たとえなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

compare to; liken to; use a simile/metaphor

Used when drawing an analogy, likening one thing to another, or speaking figuratively. Often appears in the pattern 〜に例える.

人じん生せいを旅たびに例たとえることがある。
People sometimes compare life to a journey.
彼かれはよく物もの事ごとを動どう物ぶつに例たとえて話はなす。
He often talks by likening things to animals.

See all 63 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を〈物もの〉に例たとえるto liken one thing to another
人じん生せいをよく旅たびに例たとえる。
Life is often compared to a journey.
〈人ひと〉を〈物もの〉に例たとえるto compare a person to something as a metaphor
彼かれを狼おおかみに例たとえる人ひともいる。
Some people compare him to a wolf.

Expressions

例たとえに言いうspeak metaphorically; use a figure of speech
例たとえるならfor example; if I were to compare it
例たとえて言いうとfiguratively speaking; metaphorically speaking; so to speak
例たとえようもないbeyond comparison; incomparable

Kanji

例example, custom, usage
喩metaphor, compare
譬illustrate

Related words

比くらべるN4
比べる is a general verb for comparing two or more things to find similarities or differences, while 例える specifically means likening one thing to another for illustration or figurative effect.
見み立たてる
見立てる means to regard or treat one thing as if it were another (often in a stylized or artistic context), while 例える is the general word for making a comparison or metaphor to explain something.
なぞらえるN1
例える is the everyday word for making a comparison or simile, while 準える is more literary and often implies a deliberate, symbolic parallel.

Don't confuse with

例たとえばN4
例える is a verb meaning 'to compare' or 'to liken', while 例えば is the adverb that introduces an example.

Word family

例たとえばN4
for example; for instance
例たとえN3
example; instance · simile; metaphor; allegory; parable

Written forms

例たとえるUsage33%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common and broadly understood form.
たとえるUsage56%
喩たとえるUsage7%
Rare kanji variant; may appear in literary or older texts.
譬たとえるUsage4%
Rare kanji variant; may appear in literary or older texts.

Etymology

Derived from the noun 例 (ためし, example) with the verbalizing suffix える, meaning 'to make an example of' or 'to liken'. The kanji 例 is conventionally associated with the meaning of example or comparison.