番ばん目め

Meanings

nth; number ... in order; ...-th in a sequence

Ordinal counter used after a number to show position in a sequence: 一番目, 二番目, 三番目, etc. It is more explicit about order than plain 番.

Usage patterns

〈数すう〉番ばん目めの〈物もの〉the nth ~ (in a sequence)
彼かの女じょは二に番ばん目めの子こどもです。
She is the second child.
何なん番ばん目めwhich number/position (in a sequence)
あなたは何なん番ばん目めに並ならんでいますか。
What number are you in the line?
〈数すう〉番ばん目めに〈形けい容よう詞し〉the nth most ~
K2は世せ界かいで二に番ばん目めに高たかい山やまです。
K2 is the second highest mountain in the world.

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつnumbers and countersN5

Kanji

番turn, number in a series
目eye, class, look

Related words

第だいN1sense 1
第 is a formal prefix attached before the number (第二章), while 番目 follows the number and is the everyday way to say 'the nth' (二番目の章).
目めN5sense 1
目 attaches directly after a counter to mark order (三回目, 一つ目), whereas 番目 specifically follows a bare number to state its position in a sequence.
回かい目め
回目 marks the ordinal number of a repeated event or attempt (二回目 = the second time), while 番目 marks the ordinal position of items in a sequence (二番目 = the second one).

Don't confuse with

番ばんN4sense 1
番 alone just means a number, turn, or shift, while 番目 (番+目) is needed to express 'the nth in order'; learners often drop 目 by mistake.

Built from

番ばん+目め

Etymology

Formed from 番, meaning number, turn, or order, plus 目, a common ordinal suffix. This is a practical component explanation rather than a detailed historical derivation.