比如说 (bǐ rú shuō) — "for example"
Reach for 比如说 when you've made a general statement and want to follow up with a concrete example. It's the everyday Chinese way to say 'for example' or 'like, say...' — the kind of phrase you'd hear ten times in a casual conversation. The 说 ('say') at the end gives it a chatty, almost throwaway feel, which is why 比如说 lives in speech while 例如 lives in writing.
Structure
[GENERAL STATEMENT]，比如说 [SPECIFIC EXAMPLE]
..., bǐ rú shuō ...
How to Think About It
比如 alone is enough to mean 'for example,' but tacking on 说 turns it into a conversational opener — like English 'say...' before an example. That's why 比如说 sounds spoken and 例如 sounds written. The phrase floats freely at the start of a clause; it doesn't tie tightly to the verb after it. Drop it and the example still works; add it and you signal 'I'm about to give you an instance.'
Examples
我喜欢户外运动，比如说爬山、骑车。
Wǒ xǐhuan hùwài yùndòng, bǐ rú shuō pá shān、qí chē.
I like outdoor sports, such as hiking and cycling.
学语言要多练习，比如说每天听听新闻。
Xué yǔyán yào duō liànxí, bǐ rú shuō měitiān tīngting xīnwén.
Learning a language takes practice — for example, listening to the news every day.
他什么菜都会做，比如说四川菜、广东菜。
Tā shénme cài dōu huì zuò, bǐ rú shuō Sìchuān cài、Guǎngdōng cài.
He can cook any kind of food — say, Sichuan or Cantonese cuisine.
Common Mistake
Learners attach 比如说 to a single word as if it were 'such as' inside a noun phrase ('fruits such as apples'). In Chinese, 比如说 introduces a whole example clause or list, with a pause/comma before the example.
我喜欢水果比如说苹果。
我喜欢水果，比如说苹果、香蕉。
Don't Confuse With
例如
Same meaning, formal/written register. Use 例如 in essays and reports; 比如说 in conversation and casual writing.
比如
Shorter version of 比如说. Both work in speech, but 比如说 sounds slightly more conversational and softer; 比如 a touch more matter-of-fact.
像...一样
Means 'like X,' a comparison, not an example. Use 像 when you're saying something resembles X; use 比如说 when you're listing instances of a category.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 我喜欢运动，___如说跑步。
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比
Fill in the blank: 中国有很多大城市，比如___北京、上海。
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说
Arrange: 比如说 / 喜欢 / 苹果 / 水果 / 我 / ，
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我喜欢水果，比如说苹果。
Translate to Chinese: I like Chinese food, for example dumplings and noodles.
Show answer
我喜欢中国菜，比如说饺子和面条。
Make a general statement about a hobby and add an example using 比如说.
Show answer
我周末常常和朋友一起玩游戏，比如说桌游和扑克牌。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 比如说 (bǐ rú shuō) — "for example" in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.