Welcome to Day 52 of your 100-day challenge to JLPT N5 mastery!
You’re over halfway, and as working adults juggling life, your progress is inspiring.
Today, we’re exploring いちばん, the simple yet powerful way to say “the most” or “number one.”
Whether ranking your favorite foods, the tallest building, or the fastest train, いちばん helps you compare and express preferences naturally.
Let’s make your comparisons pop!
Main Lesson: Understanding いちばん
Grammar Rules
Meaning:
いちばん means “the most,” “number one,” or “the best.”
It turns adjectives or nouns into superlatives (e.g., “the tallest,” “my favorite”).
Structure:
いちばん + [adjective]
(e.g., いちばん たかい = the most expensive).
いちばん + [noun] + が/は + [verb/adjective]
(e.g., これ が いちばん すき です = This is my favorite).
For questions:
どれ が いちばん [adjective] です か？
(Which is the most…?).
Usage:
Use with i-adjectives (drop い for some, but keep for N5 simplicity).
Common in shopping (i-adjectives), opinions (likes), or descriptions (sizes/speeds).
Polite:
Add です;
casual:
Drop it with friends.
Vocabulary List
Adjectives (for comparisons):
| Words | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| やすい | yasui | cheap |
| ふるい | furui | old |
| あたらしい | atarashii | new |
| ちかい | chikai | near; close |
| とおい | tooi | far |
| ひくい | hikui | low |
| たかい | takai | high; tall |
Nouns (for objects/contexts):
| Words | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| くるま | kuruma | car |
| ふく | fuku | clothes |
| スーパー | suupaa | supermarket |
| えいが | eiga | movie |
| レストラン | resutoran | restaurant |
Verbs (masu form for politeness):
| Words | Masu-form | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| すむ | すみます | sumu | live |
| うる | うります | urimasu | sell |
| えらぶ | えらびます | erabimasu | choose |
| みつかる | みつかります | mitsukarimasu | be found |
Example Sentences
この くるま が いちばん たかい です。
(Kono kuruma ga ichiban takai desu.)
– This car is the most expensive.
スーパー で いちばん やすい ふく を かいました。
(Suupaa de ichiban yasui fuku o kaimashita.)
– I bought the cheapest clothes at the supermarket.
どれ が いちばん あたらしい えいが です か？
(Dore ga ichiban atarashii eiga desu ka?)
– Which is the newest movie?
この レストラン の りょうり が いちばん おいしい です。
(Kono resutoran no ryouri ga ichiban oishii desu.)
– The food of this restaurant is the best (tastiest).
いちばん ちかい みち を おしえて ください。
(Ichiban chikai michi o oshiete kudasai.)
– Please tell me the closest route.
あの ビル が いちばん ひくい です。
(Ano biru ga ichiban hikui desu.)
– That building is the lowest.
この やま が いちばん たかい です。
(Kono yama ga ichiban takai desu.)
– This mountain is the highest.
この ほん が いちばん ふるい です。
(Kono hon ga ichiban furui desu.)
– This book is the oldest.
いちばん すき な うた を うたって います。
(Ichiban suki na uta o utatte imasu.)
– I’m singing my favorite song.
まち で いちばん べんり な みせ を みつけました。
(Machi de ichiban benri na mise o mitsukemashita.)
– I found the most convenient store in town.
Conclusion
Great job on Day 52! You’ve nailed いちばん, declaring “the most expensive” or “my favorite” like a pro for shopping, opinions, or JLPT N5.
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