Stop saying “PER ESEMPIO” in Italian: Learn 10 ALTERNATIVES to say “FOR EXAMPLE”

How many times have you heard the expressions “per esempio” or “ad esempio”? Let me guess: many many times? Yes, us too. And that’s why today we’ll talk about 10 possible alternatives for these two expressions that you can use when you want to make some examples.

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SYNONYMS FOR “PER ESEMPIO” IN ITALIAN

The expressions “per esempio” and “ad esempio” in Italian are mainly used to introduce an example: that is to say when you want to provide evidence or talk about events that really occurred to prove a certain point:

La torta di carote è uno dei dolci più semplici da preparare! Io per esempio la preparo tutte le domeniche e ci metto davvero pochissimo tempo!
(Carrot cakes are really one of the simplest cakes to make! For example, I bake one every Sunday and it doesn’t take a lot of time!)

or when we want to suggest possible ways to execute a certain concept or idea:

A mio parere potremmo attuare la nuova strategia in tutte le situazioni adatte, ad esempio ogni volta che si ripresenta questo stesso problems.
(I think that we could implement the new strategy for every appropriate situation, for example, every time there’s the same problem)

There’s a specific case in which “per esempio” and “ad esempio” cannot be replaced by other expressions: when they are at the end of the sentence.

Non tutti i cibi contengono tanti grassi. Pensa alla frutta, per esempio.
(Not all foods have a lot of fats in them. For example, think about fruits)

In all other cases, these two terms can easily be replaced by:

1. COME

Which is maybe the most common alternative.

Tante volte mi capita di guardare un film mentre bevo una cioccolata calda, come quando fuori piove e non ho nessuna voglia di uscire.
(I often watch films while I drink hot chocolate, like when it’s raining outside and I don’t want to go out.)

2. TRA L’ALTRO

We can also use the expression “tra l’altro” to make examples, especially when, all of a sudden, we think of something and we want to use it to prove our point.

Io non sono un grande fan degli zuccheri raffinati, cerco sempre di evitarli. Tra l’altro, ho letto recentemente un articolo che spiega quanto siano dannosi per la salute.
(I’m not a big fan of refined sugars, I always try to avoid them. Moreover, I recently read an article that explains how harmful they are to our health) 

3. IN (MODO) PARTICOLARE / IN PARTICOLAR MODO

When we want to make a rather specific example to prove our point, we can use the expressions “in particolare”, “in modo particolare” and “in particolar modo” (in particular/particularly), which can all be used interchangeably.

Praticare sport a livello agonistico richiede un impegno costante, in particolar modo nella fase di preparazione per una gara importante.
(Doing sports at a professional level requires constant effort, particularly during the preparation phase for an important competition)

4. SPECIALMENTE

Like the previous expressions, the adverb “specialmente”(especially) indicates a specific case that can help our case.

Se si vuole rimanere in salute è importante avere una vita sana, specialmente per quanto riguarda l’aspetto dell’alimentazione.
(If one wants to stay healthy, it’s important to have a healthy lifestyle, and especially watch what we eat)

5. OSSIA / CIOÈ

When “per esempio” is used to better explain something that has already been said before, we can replace it with “ossia” or with “cioè”, which are synonymous with each other.

Se vi piace questo video potete dimostrarlo in diversi modi, cioè lasciando un Mi Piace oppure iscrivendovi al canale se ancora non lo avete fatto.
(If you like this video you can prove it in many ways, that is to say by leaving a Thumbs Up or by subscribing to our channel if you haven’t already) 

6. VALE A DIRE (CHE)

Just like “ossia” and “cioè”, the expression “vale a dire” introduces an explanation about what was previously said.

Ho scoperto che per fare dei buoni dolci fatti in casa non è necessario utilizzare le uova, vale a dire che con le giuste accortezze una torta può venire buonissima comunque.
(I found out that to make good homemade desserts you don’t have to use eggs, that is to say that with the right attentions cakes can be really tasty even without them.) 

7. IN ALTRE PAROLE

This alternative is used especially when we reformulate differently what was previously said, maybe by adding some new details.

Quando una relazione non fa altro che stressarci, è sempre meglio allontanarcene. In altre parole, non ha senso mantenere rapporti tossici che ci portano solo negatività.
(When a relationship does nothing but stress us, it’s always better to get away. In other words, it’s pointless to stay in a toxic relationship that only brings negativity) 

8. INFATTI

It’s used when we want to talk about a fact that explains our point of view or a choice we made.

Secondo me non esiste un genere musicale migliore di altri. Infatti, ascolto tutta la musica che mi piace senza farmi troppi problem.
(I don’t think that there is a music genre that is better than the others. In fact, I listen to all the songs that I like without asking myself  anything)

9. TANT’È (VERO) CHE

When we are talking and we think of a fact that can represent our point of view in a good way, we can introduce it with the expression “tant’è (vero) che”. The word “vero” (true) can be omitted and the meaning stays the same.

Imparare una lingua senza un supporto cartaceo è molto difficile. Tant’è vero che ho provato ad imparare il francese solo ascoltando musica e guardando video, ma non sono mai riuscito a raggiungere un livello soddisfacente.
(Learning a new language without a textbook is very hard. So much so that I tried to learn French by only listening to music and watching videos, but I was never able to reach a good level.)

10. INNANZITUTTO / ANZITUTTO

When we use examples to prove a point, we can introduce the first example with “innanzitutto” or “anzitutto”.

Non ho assolutamente intenzione di chiedergli scusa. Innanzitutto, perché non sono io ad aver sbagliato, e poi perché comunque non ho nessun interesse a riallacciare i rapporti con lui.
(I have no intention of apologizing. First of all, because I’m not the one who made a mistake, and then because I have no interest in reconnecting with him.)

Speaking of “anzitutto” and “innanzitutto”, if you still don’t know how to use “anzi” and the words that come from it, make sure to watch our video dedicated to this topic!

These were all the synonyms we could think about, I’m sure you never heard of some of these expressions before or simply you’ve never used them before. But if you’ll start to use them more frequently, your Italian will seem more natural and advanced!

Let’s see if you’ve mastered the contents of this class. Have a go at completing the exercises!

Caricamento quiz in corso…

Esercizio: Alternative a “Per Esempio”

Arricchisci il tuo italiano! Impara 10 alternative all’espressione “per esempio” per rendere il tuo discorso più vario ed espressivo. Quiz gratuito per studenti di italiano.

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