How to Say ‘The first one’ in Japanese
最初の
saisho no
[sigh-shoh noh]
💬 Usage Tip: [最初の] modifies a noun: [最初のページ] (the first page). For “Number 1,” also [一番目].
🇯🇵 In Japan: When organizing steps, Japanese often prefer [最初の〜] for “the initial ~” rather than numbering everything.
Phrase Breakdown
最初
saisho
[sigh-shoh]
beginning; first
最初 (さいしょ) = “first/beginning.” With の it modifies a noun: “the first ~ / initial ~.”
最初の説明を聞いて。
Listen to the first explanation.
の
no
[noh]
of; ’s (possessive/attributive particle)
の links nouns/phrases: “A of B,” or turns a phrase into an adjective-like modifier (e.g., 最初の = “first”).
最初のページを開いて。
Open the first page.
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