adverbial N5 essential casualpolitewritten
一番 — most (the superlative)
一番 ・ いちばん
Meaning
- most / the most ~ — marks the top of a group of three or more (the superlative)
Key sentence
クラスで一番背が高い。
I'm the tallest in the class.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective / verb | [scope]で + 一番 + adjective | 世界で一番長い川 |
Examples
日本料理の中で、寿司が一番好きだ。
Of Japanese dishes, I like sushi best.
果物の中で何が一番甘いですか。
Of all fruit, which is the sweetest?
When you can't use it
- Mark the scope of the comparison with 〜で or 〜の中で, not より: クラスで一番 ✓ / 三人の中で一番 ✓, never ×クラスより一番.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 一番 literally means 'number one' and can also be a plain noun ('first / number one') outside comparisons.
See 一番 in real sentences
Jengo shows 一番 the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.