比如说...
Reach for this when you've just made a general claim and want to ground it with a concrete example — 'for instance,' 'say, for example.' 比如说 has a conversational, slightly explanatory feel; the 说 softens it into spoken register. Use it in casual speech, classroom explanations, podcasts, and informal writing when you're about to illustrate a point. It signals 'let me give you a case' rather than the cleaner 'for example' of writing. Pairs naturally with the listener nodding along.
Structure
Statement, 比如说 + Example(s).
bǐ rú shuō
How to Think About It
Think of 比如说 as 'like, say...' — the spoken cousin of the more formal 比如. The 说 ('say') adds a verbal beat, the way an English speaker might say 'take, for instance' instead of just 'for instance.' It's how you stall for a half-second while picking your example, and how you signal to the listener that what follows is illustrative, not exhaustive.
Examples
我喜欢中国菜，比如说饺子和包子。
Wǒ xǐhuān Zhōngguó cài, bǐrú shuō jiǎozi hé bāozi.
I love Chinese food — for example, dumplings and baozi.
周末我喜欢去公园，比如说看书或者散步。
Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuān qù gōngyuán, bǐrú shuō kàn shū huòzhě sànbù.
On weekends I like going to the park — say, to read or take a walk.
他会说很多语言，比如说英语、法语和日语。
Tā huì shuō hěn duō yǔyán, bǐrú shuō Yīngyǔ, Fǎyǔ hé Rìyǔ.
He speaks a lot of languages — for instance, English, French, and Japanese.
Common Mistake
Learners stick 比如说 at the end of a sentence the way English allows 'for example' to trail. In Chinese it leads — it sits BEFORE the example, never after.
我喜欢运动，跑步比如说。
我喜欢运动，比如说跑步。
Don't Confuse With
比如
Cleaner, more written. 比如 fits essays and reports; 比如说 leans spoken and explanatory. Same job, different register.
例如
Formal written equivalent — appears in textbooks, papers, business reports. Avoid in casual chat.
像
'Like' for comparison ('A is like B'). Not for introducing an example. Don't swap them.
Practice
Fill in: 我喜欢水果，____ 苹果和香蕉。
Show answer
比如说
Arrange: 比如说 / 我 / 中国菜 / 喜欢 / 饺子
Show answer
我喜欢中国菜，比如说饺子。
Translate to Chinese: I like sports, for example basketball.
Show answer
我喜欢运动，比如说篮球。
Use 比如说 to give an example of something you enjoy.
Show answer
我喜欢看电影，比如说中国电影。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: