noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
number one; first; first place
Literal rank, order, or position: No. 1, first in a sequence, or first place in a competition. As 一番の, it can modify another noun.
She came in first in the tournament.
Please enter starting with the person holding the number-one ticket.
Adverbial superlative meaning 'the most' or 'the best' among a set; very common before adjectives, adjectival nouns, and verbs of liking or preference.
I like this shop's ramen the best.
It is coolest in the morning.
A noun for a single match, round, or bout, often in set collocations such as 相撲を一番取る or 勝負を一番する. More limited than the everyday rank/superlative senses.
I had one sumo bout with a senior during practice.
as a test; by way of trial; tentatively
Idiomatic adverbial use meaning 'just to try it' or 'as an experiment,' often in phrases like 一番やってみる. Modern Japanese more often uses 試しに or ひとつ for this idea.
See also: 試しに
I don't know whether it will work, but let's give it a try.
Specialized use for a song or piece, especially in contexts such as noh chanting. It is not the ordinary everyday word for a song.
At the noh performance gathering, I sang one chant piece.
He came in first place in the marathon.
He is the tallest.
The two had one sumo bout.
Let's just give it a try.
一番 is the everyday, colloquial way to say 'first/best', while 第一 sounds more formal and is favored in written or structured contexts.
最 is a formal, written prefix that attaches directly to an adjective/noun to form a superlative (最高, 最新), while 一番 is the everyday spoken way to express the same superlative meaning, usually placed before the plain adjective (一番高い).
一番 is the everyday word for 'number one' or 'best', while 随一 is more formal and typically used in written phrases like 日本随一.
一番 is the everyday word for 'number one/best', while ピン is a more colloquial, gambling-derived term for the same idea.
一番 is the native Japanese word for 'number one' and is used more broadly, including adverbially (一番好き), while ナンバーワン specifically highlights being the top-ranked or best in a competitive context.
一番 emphasizes ranking first or foremost, while ベスト focuses on quality or suitability rather than strict order.
一番 simply means 'number one' or 'the best' without specifying any place, whereas 日本一 specifically claims the top spot in Japan.
一番 just means 'number one/most' without specifying any scope, whereas 世界一 explicitly means 'number one in the whole world'.
first to thrust a spear at the enemy · first to achieve fame or merit
highest; topmost; oldest
first person to do something; person going first · first place; top position; person in the lead
first star of the evening; evening star
first (in a series)
very end; extremity; edge
track no. 1; platform 1
first-grade tea; first-picked tea
first cockcrow; first rooster crow
decisive game; crucial match; big contest
first thing in the morning