Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. number (in a series) 2. (one's) turn 3. watch; guard; lookout 4. rank; standing; position 5. bout; match (sumo) 6. pieces (in a collection) Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 の 番ばん だ it is someone's turn
〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 の 番ばん に 立た つ to stand guard at a place
The soldiers stood guard at the gate.
番ばん が 来く る one's turn comes
番ばん を 待ま つ to wait for one's turn
The children lined up and waited for their turn.
Expressions ここ 一いち 番ばん the crucial moment; the moment of truth; do-or-die situation 番ばん を 張は る be the leader of a group of juvenile delinquents; be the boss of a gang Kanji 番 turn, number in a series Related words· 8 順番 emphasizes the whole sequence or order in which things happen, while 番 alone just refers to a single turn within that sequence.
見張り is the common word for standing watch or keeping lookout, while 番 in this sense is a slightly more general term for guard duty.
第 is a prefix placed before the numeral (第一 ), while 番 is a suffix placed after it (一番 ), and they can even combine as 第一番 .
番 marks a number in a sequence or turn broadly, while 位 specifically denotes rank or placement in a ranking.
Show 4 more Show fewer 番 is a native Japanese word for 'turn' used in everyday speech, while ターン is the loanword often used in games or sports contexts.
番 marks a turn or sequence order (一番 , 次の番 ), whereas 回 simply counts how many times something has occurred.
番 is a broad word covering number, turn, watch, or duty, while 番手 is the narrower term for a counted position, guard duty, or yarn thickness.
番 marks order or turn in a sequence, while 号 more specifically labels an issue, model, size, or named vehicle.
Don't confuse with 番号 is a full noun meaning 'number' (like a phone number), whereas 番 is a suffix attached to a number to mark its position, e.g. 三番 not 三番号 .
当番 names the person or role currently on duty, while 番 alone is the broader word for the watch or turn itself, not the person holding it.
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.
番 (turn, number, watch) is pronounced identically to 晩 (evening) but has a completely unrelated meaning, so listeners must rely on context.
Word family· 152 number one; first; first place · most; best · one game; one round; one bout · as a test; by way of trial; tentatively · song; piece
program; show
number; series of digits
one's turn; one's shift · stage appearance; screen time · chance to act; moment to shine
order; turn
Show 25 more Show fewer standard item; classic; go-to choice; staple · basic item; staple goods
yarn count; thread count number · nth place; nth position; nth in the order · nth rank in a battle formation; nth line of troops · castle guard · second-place horse; horse running just behind the leader
house number; lot number; address number
TV/radio special; special program
leader of a group of juvenile delinquents; gang leader
exception; outside the regular number · extra; additional · outsize; outside standard size
attendant's booth (in a bathhouse changing room)
police box; small neighborhood police station; koban · alternation; taking turns · alternating; alternating current or stress
track number; platform number · wire gauge
house-sitting; caretaking; staying home to watch the house · caretaker; house-sitter
item number; part number; stock number
farce; charade; sham · comic interlude; short humorous sketch · tea server; person who serves tea
model number
duty; being on duty; person on duty; one's turn
guard; watchman
ranked list; ranking chart · program; playbill
gatekeeper; doorman; guard at a gate
watchdog; guard dog
late shift; second shift; afternoon shift
head clerk; chief clerk
tending a store; minding the shop · salesperson; shop assistant; clerk
early shift; morning shift
telephone exchange number; telephone prefix
off duty; not on duty
missing number; vacant number
See all 152 in Explore →
Written forms 番ばん Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
ばん Usage 1%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing and when the kanji is not needed for clarity.
Etymology The kanji 番 originally depicted a paw print and a field, suggesting a boundary or division, which extended to mean 'order', 'turn', and 'watch'. The reading ばん is the on'yomi. The word is deeply integrated into Japanese as a counter and suffix.
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