Japanese word

筆頭

Pronunciation

Romajihittō

Meaning

  • nounleading

Example

彼は筆頭候補です。kare wa hit tō kō ho de su

He is the leading candidate.

Illustration for 筆頭 (leading)

More examples

彼は委員会の筆頭として、最終案を取りまとめました。kare wa i in kai no hit tō to shi te sai shū an o to ri ma to me ma shi ta

As the senior member of the committee, he put together the final proposal.

Core concept

Identifies a person or thing as the foremost member of a group, whether by rank, importance, or likelihood of success.

Common phrases

  • 筆頭に挙がるhit tō ni a ga ru

    be mentioned as the leading candidate

  • 筆頭に置くhit tō ni o ku

    place at the top

  • 筆頭株主hit tō kabu nushi

    largest shareholder

Similar words

首席shuseki: The person or position holding the highest rank in a group or organization.
第一人者daiichininsha: The foremost expert or authority in a particular field.

Definition in Japanese

ある範囲の中で、地位や有力さが最も上位にある人やもの。a ru han i no naka de chi i ya yū ryoku sa ga motto mo jō i ni a ru hito ya mo no

Word origin

筆頭 (hittō, "foremost") joins 筆 (hitsu, "writing brush") with 頭 (tō, "head"), giving the literal sense of a brush's head and the extended sense of being first in rank.

Usage tips

  • In formal Japanese, 筆頭 (hittō) often appears in compounds such as 筆頭株主 (hittō kabunushi, "largest shareholder"), where it marks the person or group at the top by ownership.

Opposites

  • 末席massekilowest ranknoun

Word lists with this word