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一番手 (いちばんて) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

一いち番ばん手て

い

ち

ば

ん

て

Meanings

1

first person to do something; person going first

Refers to the individual who acts first in a sequence, such as the first speaker, first performer, or first to attempt something.

会かい議ぎでは、彼かれが一いち番ばん手てで意い見けんを述のべた。
At the meeting, he was the first person to give his opinion.

じゃんけんで一いち番ばん手てになったので、最さい初しょにゲームを始はじめた。

Since I became the first person in rock-paper-scissors, I started the game first.

2

first place; top position; person in the lead

Used in competitive contexts like sports, business rankings, or any situation where someone holds the leading position.

彼かれはマラソンで一いち番ばん手てを走はしっている。
He is running in first place in the marathon.
この業ぎょう界かいでは、あの会かい社しゃが一いち番ばん手てだ。
In this industry, that company is the top player.

Usage patterns

一いち番ばん手てを務つとめるto serve as the first person (to act, speak, perform, etc.)
彼かれはプレゼンの一いち番ばん手てを務つとめた。
He served as the first presenter.
一いち番ばん手てに立たつto take the lead position
彼かの女じょはレースで一いち番ばん手てに立たった。
She took the lead in the race.
一いち番ばん手てに選えらばれるto be chosen to go first
彼かれが一いち番ばん手てに選えらばれた。
He was chosen to go first.

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
番turn, number in a series
手hand

Related words· 6

先せん頭とうN2sense 1
先頭 refers to the front-most position in a line or group, while 一番手 emphasizes the individual who acts or performs first in a sequence.
トップN3sense 2
トップ is a general loanword for 'top' or 'first place', while 一番手 specifically denotes the person holding that leading position.
先せん鋒ぽう sense 1
先鋒 is a somewhat literary term for the one who takes the initiative or leads an attack, while 一番手 is a more neutral, everyday word for the first person to act.
首しゅ位い sense 2
首位 is a formal term for first place in a ranking, while 一番手 more directly refers to the person who is in the lead.

Show 2 more

トップバッター
一番手 broadly means 'the first one' in any ranking or sequence, while トップバッター specifically evokes the image of being first to act or perform.
一いち番ばん乗のり
一番手 refers to the first person in a sequence or turn (e.g. first performer), whereas 一番乗り emphasizes physically arriving or charging ahead of others.

Opposites

最さい下か位い sense 2
最下位 means last place, the direct opposite of 一番手 when it refers to the top-ranked position.

Don't confuse with

一いち番ばんN5
一番 means 'number one' or 'most' in general, while 一番手 specifically refers to the person who is first or leading.

Counted with

人にん
一番手 refers to a person, so it is counted with 人, as in 一番手の人一人.

Built from

一いち番ばん+手て

Written forms

一いち番ばん手て
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news contexts.
１いち番ばん手て
Numerical variant, sometimes used in lists or rankings.

Etymology

Compound of 一番 (first, number one) and 手 (hand, person). The 手 suffix here indicates a person in a role or position, as seen in words like 運転手 (driver) or 歌手 (singer).