例えば is a common adverb used to give an example or a few examples to illustrate a point. It often appears at the start of a sentence, and it can be used in both spoken and written Japanese. You can think of it as the equivalent of 'for example' or 'for instance' in English.

When using 例えば, the example that follows can be a noun, a verb phrase, or even a full sentence. It is often paired with など (like 'such as') after the example noun, but など is not always necessary. For instance, you might say 例えば、日本語と英語など to mean 'for example, Japanese and English, etc.'

In conversation, 例えば is frequently used when you want to give a concrete instance to help the listener understand, or when you are brainstorming ideas. It is a neutral, widely usable word, so you can use it in both casual and formal settings.