比方
bǐ fang · HSK 5
for instance
⚖️ 比 = compare + 方 = method; a 'comparison method' = an analogy
比 means compare and 方 means method or way, so 比方 literally reads as 'compare-method' — the way you compare one thing to another, i.e. an analogy or for-instance. Common in 打个比方 ('let me give an example').
比 — two 匕 (person) side by side
比 is a pictograph showing two people standing side by side, facing the same direction. From this image of paired figures came the core meaning 'to compare' or 'to be next to,' since comparing things naturally involves placing them alongside each other.
方 — pictograph of a plow or two boats joined side by side
方 originated as a pictograph, traditionally interpreted as a plow handle or two boats lashed together. From the idea of paired boats it extended to mean 'side by side,' then 'square,' 'direction,' and 'region.' It was later borrowed for the abstract sense of 'method' or 'way.'