The First Thing
The First, First Thing
noun
You've seen 一番 (number one), so what in the world is this eye on the end? This eye (目) is used to mark something's position in a sequence. So, add this to "number one" and you have the first thing or simply the first.
Just imagine your collection of eyeballs you have at home. (You have a collection of eyeballs, right?) You have them lined up in a display case and you're explaining the first one to your friend. It's not first because it's the best or anything — you love all your eyeballs equally, after all — but it does happen to come first in sequence in your display right now.
The reading for this word is just the vocab word 一番 plus the word 目. If you know both of those readings you'll be able to read this one as well.
一番目の店
first shop
一番目の子
the first child
一番目のブログ記事
first blog post
右に曲がって一番目の部屋に入ってください。
Please turn right and enter the first room.
その朝、一番目に家を出たのは兄でした。
On that morning, my older brother was the first to leave the house.
東京大学に入学できる事を一番目に知らせたかった人は、受験中ずっと支えてくれた父でした。
The first person who I wanted to inform that I would be admitted to the University of Tokyo was my father, who supported me throughout my entrance exams.