hanamaru
Say something is the most or the best
Use this to say something is the most of all.
JLPTN5
いちばん + [adjective]ichiban + [adjective]
the most [adjective] of all
Example Sentence
It's my favorite
いちばん is placed in front of an adjective to form the superlative, the equivalent of adding most or -est in English. On its own it literally means number one, so it singles out the top item in a group. It pairs naturally with comparisons, where の方が marks the bigger of just two things and いちばん marks the best of many.
Tips and Common Traps
Hana· Key point
Use 一番 to share your favourites — 一番好きな食べ物は何ですか (what's your favourite food?).