CriteriaQuery<Person> criteria = build.createQuery( Person.class ); Root<Person> personRoot = criteria.from( Person.class ); criteria.select( personRoot ); ParameterExpression<String> eyeColorParam = builder.parameter( String.class ); criteria.where( builder.equal( personRoot.get( Person_.eyeColor ), eyeColorParam ) ); TypedQuery<Person> query = em.createQuery( criteria ); query.setParameter( eyeColorParam, "brown" ); List<Person> people = query.getResultList();