Meaning

Primary

For Example

Alternatives

For Instance, Supposing That

Word Type

adverb

Explanation

This has almost the same meaning as the kanji it comes from. Instead of just simply being "example," though, it's for example. It can also sometimes mean supposing that when talking about hypothetical scenarios. So, supposing that I start a sentence with this, I can be all like "例えば, I am using 例えば in a sentence."

Reading

たとえば
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you: Using all kinds of "for examples" like this, you were taught (たと) many things throughout your life. For example, you were taught about...

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 例えばの話

    hypothetical talk, a hypothetical case

Context Sentences

例えば、昔はすごく人気があったけど、今は落ちぶれてしまった人がいたとしましょう。

For example, let's say there was a person who used to be very popular but isn't at all anymore.

例えば、林でコヨーテに出くわした時、あなたならどうしますか?

For example, if you encounter a coyote in the woods, what would you do?

いやいや、例えばの話だよ、例えばの!

No, no, I'm just telling a what-if story, just a what-if story!

Kanji Composition