Translation guide
How to express 'last place' in Japanese, covering rankings, competitions, and figurative uses.
The lowest position in a contest, race, or ordered list.
Standard term for 'last place' in rankings, sports, or any ordered list. Neutral and widely used.
彼はマラソンで最下位だった。
He came in last place in the marathon.
このチームはリーグ最下位です。
This team is in last place in the league.
Colloquial term for 'last place', often used in casual conversation. Can sound slightly blunt.
またビリだった。
I came in last again.
彼はテストでビリだった。
He was last in the test.
Literally 'lowest grade/class', used for ranking things by quality or level. Less common for competitions.
このホテルは最下等のランクだ。
This hotel is in the lowest rank.
Describing the condition of being at the bottom.
Phrase meaning 'to be in last place'. Uses いる for animate subjects or ongoing state.
うちのチームは最下位にいる。
Our team is in last place.
Casual way to say 'to end up in last place'. なる indicates a change or result.
またビリになった。
I ended up in last place again.
Used metaphorically to mean something is given the least consideration.
Means 'putting off' or 'leaving until later', often implying lowest priority. Not a direct translation but conveys the idea of being last in order of importance.
彼の意見はいつも後回しにされる。
His opinion is always put last (given the lowest priority).
Literally 'second after', meaning something is secondary or comes after something else. Can imply it's not a priority.
The very end of a line, list, or physical arrangement.
Refers to the very end of a line or queue. Used for physical positions.
列の最後尾に並んでください。
Please line up at the very end of the line.
General word for 'last' or 'end'. Can be used for position in a sequence.
最下位 is the standard, neutral term for 'last place' in rankings. ビリ is casual and often used in everyday speech, but can sound blunt or childish in formal contexts. Use 最下位 in writing or polite conversation.
正式な場では「最下位」を使います。
In formal settings, use 'saikai'.
Avoid directly translating 'last place' as 最後の場所 (saigo no basho), which means 'the last location' and does not convey ranking. Use 最下位 or ビリ for competitive contexts.
安全は利益の二の次だ。
Safety takes a back seat to profit (is in last place compared to profit).
His name was at the very end of the list.