Skip to content
道Nihongo Path

Word 1993 of 2920

Save Sign in to track

例える

たとえる

to compare (to), to liken, to speak figuratively, to use a simile

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 人生は旅に例えられる。

    じんせいはたびにたとえられる。

    Life can be likened to a journey.

  2. その詩人は死を眠りに例えた。

    そのしじんはしをねむりにたとえた。

    The poet compared death to sleep.

  3. 難しい理論を身近な物に例えて説明すると、学生はよく理解する。

    むずかしいりろんをみぢかなものにたとえてせつめいすると、がくせいはよくりかいする。

    When you explain a difficult theory by comparing it to something familiar, students understand it well.

Common patterns

～を…に例える
to liken A to B
例えて言えば
to put it figuratively
例えるなら
if I were to compare it to something

Memory tip

The pattern is AをBに例える — the thing being described takes を, the image takes に. Do not confuse it with the adverb 例えば 'for example', which introduces an instance rather than a metaphor.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 3 of 5

What does 例える mean?