番目(ばんめ)

ばんめ
suffix
-th (ordinal suffix)
number
1. -th, number ~ (ordinal suffix)
Attaches to a number to create an ordinal: first, second, third, etc. Used with both Sino-Japanese and native numbers.
一(いち)番目(ばんめ)に来(き)た。
I arrived first (was the first to come).
上(うえ)から三(さん)番目(ばんめ)の棚(たな)を見(み)てください。
Please look at the third shelf from the top.
日本(にほん)は世界(せかい)で三(さん)番目(ばんめ)に大(おお)きい経済(けいざい)大国(たいこく)だ。
Japan is the third-largest economy in the world.
〜番目(ばんめ)に + adjective means 'the ~th most [adjective].'

番目(ばんめ) turns a cardinal number into an ordinal number.

Common patterns

Examples

CONTRAST WITH 目(め):

  • 番目(ばんめ) is used after a number to indicate rank or order in a sequence
  • 〜目(め) attaches directly to counters: 三人目(さんにんめ) (third person), 二回目(にかいめ) (second time)
general
Added 2026.2.22 15:51 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:31
12500/12733_banme