# HSK 4 Grammar: 拿……来说 (ná... lái shuō) Explained | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4-fixed-phrases-23514f3961 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-4-fixed-phrases-23514f3961 HSK levels: 4 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:22.922Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the Chinese fixed phrase 拿……来说 (ná... lái shuō) to introduce specific examples, contrast it with 对……来说 and 比如, and avoid common mistakes. Grammar [HSK 4 · Fixed patterns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4#hsk-4-g036) # HSK 4 Fixed Phrase: How to Use 拿……来说 to Give Examples The fixed phrase 拿……来说 (ná... lái shuō) introduces a specific person, thing, or situation as an illustrative example to support a broader point, similar to 'take... for example' in English. 拿 Noun / Topic Example 来说 ， Explanatory Clause Example sentence 很多大城市的交通很方便，拿北京来说，地铁线路非常多。 hěn duō dà chéngshì de jiāotōng hěn fāngbiàn , ná Běijīng lái shuō , dìtiě xiànlù fēicháng duō . Many large cities have convenient transport. Take Beijing, for example: it has a great many subway lines. Uses 拿……来说 to pick one specific city (Beijing) to back up the general claim about big cities. A common mistake × 拿他每天早上六点起床去跑步来说。 ná tā měitiān zǎoshang liù diǎn qǐchuáng qù pǎobù lái shuō . Incomplete on its own: ‘Take his getting up at six every morning to go running, for example…’ As a standalone written statement, this introduces a topic but does not explain the point. The issue is the missing comment, not a ban on using an event as the topic. Adding 这件事 can make a longer event topic clearer. Corrected example: 他非常重视健康，拿他每天的习惯来说，他总是早上六点起床去跑步。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Core Meaning and Syllabus Scope In the HSK 4 grammar outline (2025-11 edition with a 2026-07 implementation label), 拿……来说 is categorized under fixed formats as a fixed phrase. Note that syllabus levels describe the supplied reference outline rather than guaranteeing which exam version is administered at a specific test center. Literally, 拿 means to take or hold, and 来说 means to speak of or discuss. Together, 拿……来说 works just like the English expression 'take... for example' or 'to take the case of...'. Speakers and writers use it after making a general observation, selecting one familiar item to prove or clarify that point. 很多大城市的交通很方便，拿北京来说，地铁线路非常多。 hěn duō dà chéngshì de jiāotōng hěn fāngbiàn , ná Běijīng lái shuō , dìtiě xiànlù fēicháng duō . Many large cities have convenient transport. Take Beijing, for example: it has a great many subway lines. Uses 拿……来说 to pick one specific city (Beijing) to back up the general claim about big cities. ## Sentence Structure and Natural Modifiers A noun phrase, pronoun or time expression commonly fills the frame. A longer event can also be treated as a topic, often made explicit with 这件事: 拿他每天跑步这件事来说. The following comment explains why the example matters. In an independent written statement, include that explanation rather than leaving only a topic introduction. 拿 Noun / Topic Example 来说 ， Explanatory Clause In spoken and written Chinese, it is very common to add the adverb 就 before 拿, forming 就拿……来说. Adding 就 conveys 'just take... right here as an example,' signaling that the speaker does not even need to look far to find proof. You may also hear modal particles like 吧 placed right after 来说 to soften the tone. 就拿 Noun / Topic Example 来说 ， Explanatory Clause 每个人的睡眠习惯不一样，就拿我来说，我每天晚上十点就得睡觉。 Měi gè rén de shuìmián xíguàn bù yīyàng, jiù ná wǒ lái shuō, wǒ měitiān wǎnshang shí diǎn jiù děi shuìjiào. Everyone has different sleep habits. Take me, for example: I have to go to bed at ten every night. Adds 就 before 拿 to casually point to oneself as an immediate example. 这儿春天的天气变化很快，拿昨天来说，上午还是晴天，下午就下起大雨来了。 zhèr chūntiān de tiānqì biànhuà hěn kuài , ná zuótiān lái shuō , shàngwǔ hái shì qíngtiān , xiàwǔ jiù xià qǐ dà yǔ lái le . Spring weather changes quickly here. Take yesterday, for example: it was sunny in the morning, but heavy rain started in the afternoon. Places a time noun (昨天) inside the frame, followed by two clauses explaining what happened. ## Useful Contrasts: 对……来说 and 比如 Because several Chinese patterns end with 来说 or introduce examples, learners often mix them up. Separating 拿……来说 from 对……来说 and 比如 will make your writing much clearer. - 拿……来说 versus 对……来说: Both end in 来说, but their prepositions do completely different jobs. 拿……来说 selects a sample item to illustrate a broader claim ('take X as an example'). 对……来说 identifies the person or group experiencing a judgment or feeling ('for X' or 'from X's perspective'). - 拿……来说 versus 比如: Both introduce examples. However, 比如 ('for instance') is flexible: it can list several nouns in a row or introduce a whole clause directly. 拿……来说 normally singles out one specific topic first and requires a following comment clause to explain the details. 对我来说，这道数学题太难了。 duì wǒ lái shuō , zhè dào shùxué tí tài nán le . For me, this math problem is too difficult. Contrast example: 对……来说 expresses personal perspective or how something affects someone, not an illustrative example. Quick check: use 对我来说 for “This test is hard for me”. Use 拿我来说 when presenting yourself as an example: “Some people go to bed late. Take me, for example: I go to bed at 1 a.m.” The example illustrates a point; one case does not establish a claim about everyone. ## Structural Limits and Common Learner Mistakes A possible problem in standalone writing is ending immediately after 来说. The reader has heard which example you selected but not what it shows. In conversation, a topic introduction may pause there while the speaker continues; judge it in context. For a clear complete model, put the example topic in the frame and its explanation afterward. The following repair adds a reason the routine matters and a complete description; it does not mean that all event-sized topics are ungrammatical. × 拿他每天早上六点起床去跑步来说。 ná tā měitiān zǎoshang liù diǎn qǐchuáng qù pǎobù lái shuō . Incomplete on its own: ‘Take his getting up at six every morning to go running, for example…’ As a standalone written statement, this introduces a topic but does not explain the point. The issue is the missing comment, not a ban on using an event as the topic. Adding 这件事 can make a longer event topic clearer. Corrected example: 他非常重视健康，拿他每天的习惯来说，他总是早上六点起床去跑步。 他非常重视健康，拿他每天的习惯来说，他总是早上六点起床去跑步。 tā fēicháng zhòngshì jiànkāng , ná tā měitiān de xíguàn lái shuō , tā zǒngshì zǎoshang liù diǎn qǐchuáng qù pǎobù . He cares a great deal about his health. Take his daily habits, for example: he always gets up at six in the morning to go running. Correct replacement: Keeps a noun phrase (他每天的习惯) inside 拿……来说 and puts the specific action in the following clause. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I put 吧 after 拿……来说?** Yes. In spoken Chinese, speakers often say 拿……来说吧 or 就拿……来说吧 before pausing for the next clause. It softens the tone and invites the listener to consider the example. **Should I use 拿……来说 to list three or four quick examples at the end of a sentence?** No. 拿……来说 is designed to spotlight a topic and then comment on it in a subsequent clause. If you just want to attach a list of nouns at the end of a sentence, use 比如 or 例如 instead. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 396](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=396) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)