Japanese word

一等

Pronunciation

Romajiittō

Meaning

  • nounfirst place

Example

彼は大会で一等になりました。kare wa tai kai de it tō ni na ri ma shi ta

He came in first in the competition.

Illustration for 一等 (first place)

More examples

昨年の大会では、彼女が一等を取りました。saku nen no tai kai de wa kano jo ga it tō o to ri ma shi ta

She won first place in last year's competition.

Core concept

Marks something as occupying the top rank, whether the rank comes from a contest or from a graded system.

Common phrases

  • 一等になるit tō ni na ru

    come in first

  • 一等を取るit tō o to ru

    win first place

Similar words

首位shui: The highest position in a ranking, especially among several competitors.
優勝yūshō: The winning result in a contest or competition.
トップtoppu: The highest position or level in a group, ranking, or system.

Definition in Japanese

順位を競う場で第一位になること。また、品質や扱いが最上位の等級であること。jun i o kiso u ba de dai ichi i ni na ru ko to ma ta hin shitsu ya atsuka i ga sai jō i no tō kyū de a ru ko to

Word origin

一 (ichi, "one") + 等 (tō, "rank or grade") forms a compound meaning the first or highest level in an ordered scale.

Usage tips

  • The word 一等 (ittō) often appears in compounds such as 一等車 (ittōsha), meaning a first-class railway car, which connects rank with quality.

Other meanings

  • first prizenoun
  • first classnoun

Opposites

  • 最下位saikailast placenoun

Word lists with this word