Ichiban
/ˌiːtʃiˈbɑːn/noun
A Japanese word meaning number one, first, or the best, often used in English as a brand name or informal expression.
Did you know?In Japanese, ichiban can intensify superlatives—such as ichiban suki, “liked the most”—turning “number one” into a powerful expression of preference.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Sinitic
一
“One; the first unit”
Ancient Chinese
Sinitic
番
“A turn, order, rank, or number in a sequence”
8th Century
Japanese
一番
“A first place or first rank; read as ichiban”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
いちばん
“First, foremost, or most of all”
20th Century
English
ichiban
“A Japanese loanword or commercial expression meaning number one, best, or first”
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