日本一(にっぽんいち)

にっぽんいち
noun
best in Japan, Japan's number one
1. best in Japan, number one in Japan
The top or finest in all of Japan. Used to describe something that ranks first nationwide in some quality or measure.
日本一(にっぽんいち)の山(やま)は富士山(ふじさん)だ。
The tallest mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji.
日本一(にっぽんいち)高(たか)いビルに登(のぼ)った。
I went up the tallest building in Japan.
This restaurant's ramen is said to be the best in Japan.

Can be read as either にっぽんいち or にほんいち, but にっぽんいち is more common and emphatic.

Common patterns

  • 日本一(にっぽんいち)の~: the best/greatest ~ in Japan
  • ~は日本一(にっぽんいち)だ: ~ is the best in Japan
  • 日本一(にっぽんいち)高(たか)い: the tallest/most expensive in Japan

Usage

Often paired with superlative-like adjectives (高(たか)い, 大(おお)きい, 長(なが)い, 美(うつく)しい, etc.). Can also be used subjectively to express strong praise.

Related words