The pattern is simple: take number + counter and stick ~目 on the end. So 三個 (“three pieces”) becomes 三個目 (“the third piece”), and 二回 (“two times”) becomes 二回目 (“the second time”).
The general ordinal: ~番目
When you just want to say “the Nth one” without specifying what kind of thing it is, use ~番目. It is built on ~番 (the counter for ranks and order) and is the most useful, all-purpose ordinal. There are no sound changes - the reading stays ばんめ throughout.
| No. | Kana | Kanji |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | いちばんめ | 一番目 |
| 2nd | にばんめ | 二番目 |
| 3rd | さんばんめ | 三番目 |
| 4th | よんばんめ | 四番目 |
| 5th | ごばんめ | 五番目 |
| 6th | ろくばんめ | 六番目 |
| 7th | ななばんめ | 七番目 |
| しちばんめ | ||
| 8th | はちばんめ | 八番目 |
| 9th | きゅうばんめ | 九番目 |
| 10th | じゅうばんめ | 十番目 |
| 11th | じゅういちばんめ | 十一番目 |
| 12th | じゅうにばんめ | 十二番目 |
| 13th | じゅうさんばんめ | 十三番目 |
| 20th | にじゅうばんめ | 二十番目 |
| 21st | にじゅういちばんめ | 二十一番目 |
| 100th | ひゃくばんめ | 百番目 |
| 1000th | せんばんめ | 千番目 |
| Which (in order) | なんばんめ | 何番目 |
Adding ~目 to other counters
~目 is not limited to ~番. You can attach it to almost any counter to make that counter ordinal. The reading of the number + counter part follows the rules of that counter (including its sound changes), and you just add め at the end.
| Pattern | Example (Kana) | Example (Kanji) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~つ目 | ひとつめ | 一つ目 | the first one |
| ~個目 | いっこめ | 一個目 | the first piece |
| ~人目 | ひとりめ | 一人目 | the first person |
| ~回目 | いっかいめ | 一回目 | the first time |
| ~枚目 | にまいめ | 二枚目 | the second sheet |
| ~日目 | みっかめ | 三日目 | the third day |
A couple of things worth noting. Without ~目, 一番 on its own means “number one / the best”, while 一番目 specifically means “the first in a sequence”. And 二枚目 literally means “the second sheet”, but it is also a common idiom for a handsome man, from the world of kabuki theatre.
Check out other counters.