〜きっての: 'The Best in/of' (Meaning + Examples)
Naming the best within a group
〜きっての follows a noun for a place, organization, era, or category, and means "the best/foremost in [that group]." It must be followed directly by another noun — the specific person or thing being praised as the top of that group.
彼はこの分野きっての専門家だ。
かれは この ぶんやきっての せんもんかだ。
He is the foremost expert in this field.
分野 (field) + きっての + 専門家 (expert).
やったんは犬たちきってのお調子者で、モチをいつも笑わせている。
やったんは いぬたちきっての おちょうしもので、もちを いつも わらわせている。
Yattan is the biggest jokester among all the dogs, and he always makes Mochi laugh.
Original example: 犬たち (the dogs) + きっての + a playful superlative noun.
京都は日本きっての観光都市だ。
きょうとは にほんきっての かんこうとしだ。
Kyoto is one of Japan's foremost tourist cities.
Form: Noun (group/place/era) + きっての + Noun
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun naming a group/place/era | N + きっての + N | 会社きっての切れ者 = the sharpest mind in the company |
彼女は業界きっての実力者として知られている。
かのじょは ぎょうかいきっての じつりょくしゃとして しられている。
She is known as one of the most capable people in the industry.
Always superlative, never a plain adjective
〜きっての is stronger than just "famous" or "well-known" — it claims someone is the standout within a named group, similar in force to 〜で一番の but more literary. It cannot be dropped in front of an adjective or verb; it only ever precedes a noun, since grammatically the whole phrase is still building toward that noun.
The short version
- 〜きっての = "the foremost ... in/of [group]."
- Attaches to: Noun (place/group/era) + きっての + Noun (the standout).
- Nuance/register: formal, written; a strong superlative claim.
- Don't confuse with: a bare adjective like 有名な — きっての specifically ranks someone within a stated group.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 〜きっての to name the foremost person or thing in a group.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
彼はこの分野＿＿＿専門家だ。
Where 〜きっての fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- いちばん · N5 — いちばん (一番) makes superlatives in Japanese: just put it before an adjective to say 'the most ~' or 'the ~est.' Learn the で / の中で scope, how to ask and answer, and the common より mix-up.
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜極めて — 極めて (きわめて) is a formal adverb meaning 'extremely' or 'exceedingly' — placed before an adjective or verb to emphasize a very high degree, common in news, reports, and academic writing.
- 〜くらいなら — 〜くらいなら means 'rather than (do something bad), I'd prefer...' — it frames an option as so undesirable that almost any alternative, even a bad one, beats it. Often paired with ましだ or だったら.
- 〜にあって — 〜にあって is a formal, literary expression meaning 'in / at / under (a certain situation),' used to frame a difficult, unusual, or noteworthy circumstance before describing how someone acts within it.
- 〜にひきかえ — 〜にひきかえ means 'in (marked) contrast to,' pairing two people or things whose situations are strikingly opposite — often with a hint of comparison or mild judgment favoring one side.
- 〜に至るまで — 〜に至るまで attaches to a noun and means 'all the way to / even down to,' stressing that a range is exhaustive: 細部に至るまで ('down to the smallest detail'). Often paired with から for A〜に至るまで.
- 〜に至っては — 〜に至っては means 'as for / when it comes to,' picking out one item — usually the most extreme, worst, or most striking example — from a group already being discussed: この街に至っては深刻だ ('as for this city, it's serious').