番

Counter for Order

Level 1Sounds Like ban

The counter 番（ばん） is used to label items in a sequence (Number 1, Number 2), indicate rankings (1st place), or identify whose turn it is. To say 'the [number]-th' in a sequence, use 〜番目（〜ばんめ）.

How It Works

1. Usage as a Label or Rank
番（ばん） is used to refer to specific numbers in an assigned sequence or ranking. It is common for:

  • Platform/Track numbers: 三番線（さんばんせん）
  • Bus/Route numbers: 二番のバス（にばんのばす）
  • Rankings: 二番（にばん - 2nd place)

Note: For room numbers or apartment numbers, 号（ごう） is the standard label (e.g., 101号). However, when asking 'what number' for a room, 番（ばん） is used in the question 何番（なんばん）.

2. Counting Turns and Matches
It is used to indicate whose turn it is or to count bouts in sports like Sumo.

  • 私の番（わたしのばん - My turn)
  • 次の一番（つぎのいちばん - The next bout/match)

3. Ordinal Numbers with 〜番目
To say 'the 1st one' or 'the 2nd one' in a physical sequence (rather than just a label), add 目（め）:

  • 二番目（にばんめ - The second one)
  • 三番目の角（さんばんめのかど - The third corner)

4. The Superlative 一番（いちばん）
While it literally means 'Number 1,' it is very frequently used as an adverb meaning 'the most.' In this adverbial sense, it is often written in hiragana（いちばん）.

5. Readings and Phonology
番（ばん） is generally regular, but pay attention to these specific readings:

  • 1: 一番（いちばん）
  • 4: 四番（よんばん）
  • 7: 七番（ななばん）
  • 9: 九番（きゅうばん）
  • 10: 十番（じゅうばん）
  • Question: 何番（なんばん）

Examples (5)

  1. 次は僕の番です。

    Next is my turn.

    Word by Word: Next (topic) my turn is.

    Here, 番 refers to a 'turn' in a sequence of people.

  2. 田中さんはクラスで一番背が高いです。

    Tanaka-san is the tallest in the class.

    Word by Word: Tanaka-san (topic) class in number one height is high.

    In this context, 一番 acts as a superlative meaning 'the most'. When used this way, it is often written in hiragana as いちばん.

  3. 三番のバスに乗ります。

    I will take bus number 3.

    Word by Word: Number 3 's bus onto ride.

    番 is used here as a label to identify a specific bus route in a sequence.

  4. 二番目の角を右に曲がってください。

    Please turn right at the second corner.

    Word by Word: Second corner (object) right to please turn.

    Adding 目（め） to 番 creates an ordinal number, meaning 'the [number]-th' in a sequence.

  5. 何番のバスですか。

    What number bus is it?

    Word by Word: What number 's bus is it?

    何番（なんばん） is the standard way to ask 'what number' in a sequence.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 番（ばん） to count frequency (how many times).

    日本に三番行きました。
    日本に三回行きました。

    番（ばん） identifies a specific position in a sequence (Number 3). To count how many times an action occurs, use 回（かい）.

  • Assuming 一番（いちばん） always means 'the best'.

    一番の質問は難しいです。
    一番いい質問は難しいです。

    While '一番の質問' is grammatically correct, it usually means 'Question Number 1' in a list. To express 'the best question,' you should use 一番（いちばん） as an adverb modifying an adjective like いい.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

番Level 1Counter for Order

Learn This First

To use the counter 番 (ban), learners should first understand the basic concept of Japanese counters and be able to read basic kanji characters.

Words in This Pattern