一本
Meanings
one long object; one film or program; one call; one goal or hit
The numeral-counter form for 本: used for long or cylindrical things, and by extension for films, TV programs, phone calls, goals, home runs, and similar countable events.
See also: 本 (ほん)
Please give me one bottle of beer.
I watched one movie over the weekend.
I'll make one phone call later.
one textual version; one book or manuscript copy; a certain book
Limited use for a single book, manuscript, copy, or version, especially in textual or bibliographic contexts. For an ordinary modern 'one book,' 一冊 is normally the learner-safe choice.
In editing the text, they consulted one other manuscript copy.
One variant version with a different ending has been handed down.
ippon; one point; decisive blow
Martial-arts scoring term, especially familiar from judo and kendo. It can refer to a decisive point or to the valid strike or throw that earns it.
In the final, he scored an ippon with a shoulder throw.
A sharp valid strike landed on the head.
Specialized traditional term from the geisha world; rare outside historical, cultural, or hanamachi-related contexts.
See also: 半玉 (はんぎょく)
In older language of the geisha world, 一本 can refer to a geisha.
single-minded focus on; devoted solely to
Used after a noun, often in patterns such as 〜一本で and 〜一本に, to mean concentrating on that one thing and not branching out.
He has come this far by devoting himself solely to baseball.
After graduation, I intend to focus solely on research.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉に電話を一本入れるto give someone a quick phone call
I gave him a quick call before leaving.
- 〈物〉一本でrelying solely on one thing; specializing in just one
He makes his living solely from fishing.
- 〈場所〉に道が一本あるthere is a single road/path (running through a place)
There's only one road through the village.
- 〈相手〉から一本取るto score an ippon (point) against an opponent
He scored a beautiful ippon against his opponent in the final.