定番

• 読み: ていばん
• ローマ字: teiban
• 漢字の分解: 定 (fixed/standard) + 番 (number/turn) → standard item, classic choice
• 発音: /te.i.ba.n/

意味

A classic, go-to, must-have — something that is a standard, reliable choice everyone knows about.

From the retail concept of a permanently stocked item, 定番 now broadly means anything that is a tried-and-true classic. In travel, it refers to the standard must-visit spots. In food, the signature dish. In fashion, the timeless staple. Unlike 穴場, 定番 embraces popularity — something is 定番 precisely because it has proven itself over time.

例文

1. 京都の定番スポットといえばやっぱり清水寺だよね。
2. 北海道の定番お土産は白い恋人でしょ。
3. この店の定番メニューはカツカレーだよ。

使い方ガイド

場面: travel, food, daily conversation, reviews

トーン: recommending, matter-of-fact

正しい言い方

• 東京の定番観光地ってどこ？ (What are the classic tourist spots in Tokyo?)
• お花見の定番って言ったらやっぱり上野公園だよね。 (When it comes to classic hanami spots, it's gotta be Ueno Park.)

避ける言い方

• 新しくオープンしたばかりの店を「定番」とは呼べない — まだ実績がない (You can't call a newly opened place 'teiban' — it hasn't proven itself yet)

よくある間違い

• Confusing 定番 with 穴場 — they are opposites. 定番 is well-known and classic; 穴場 is hidden and undiscovered
• Thinking 定番 means boring — it implies reliable quality, not staleness

起源と歴史

Originally a retail/fashion term meaning a permanently stocked item (定 = fixed, 番 = number/turn, referring to a permanent product number). Extended to general usage meaning any classic, standard, or go-to choice. Mainstream since the late Shōwa period.

文化的背景

時代: Shōwa-era retail origin, general usage from 1980s+

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across Japan in all contexts from travel guides to everyday conversation. One of the most common recommendation words in Japanese.