～目 (ordinal suffix)

• Reading: め
• Romaji: me
• Formation: Number + Counter + 目 (+ の + Noun)
• Kanji breakdown: 目 (me) = eye; also ordinal marker indicating position in a sequence

Meaning

A suffix attached to counters or numbers to indicate ordinal position, turning a cardinal number into 'the Nth.' For example, 三つ目 means 'the third one' and 二回目 means 'the second time.'

目 as an ordinal suffix is extremely productive and can attach to virtually any counter: 人目 (person), 回目 (time/occasion), 日目 (day), 杯目 (cup/glass), 軒目 (building), and so on. It differs from 番目, which specifically uses the generic number + 番 + 目 pattern (一番目, 二番目) and is more common when no specific counter is natural. 目 directly follows the counter, creating a compact ordinal: 三冊目 (the third book). Note that 目 as an ordinal suffix is distinct from 目 meaning 'eye' — context makes the difference clear.

Examples

1. これは今年に入って三冊目の本です。 This is the third book I've read since the start of this year.
2. 二回目の面接で、ようやく合格することができた。 I was finally able to pass on the second interview.
3. 引っ越してから五日目にやっと荷物が届いた。 The luggage finally arrived on the fifth day after moving.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 今日で入社して三か月目になります。
• 一杯目のコーヒーが一番おいしい。
• この映画は二度目でも感動する。

Don't Say

• 一つ目の目が痛い。(Confusing ordinal 目 with 'eye' 目 in the same phrase creates ambiguity; rephrase to clarify) → 最初の目が痛い。
• 目三回のテストを受けた。(目 must follow the number+counter, not precede it) → 三回目のテストを受けた。
• 三回目に試験が簡単だ。(Ordinal + に does not work for describing a characteristic; use 三回目の試験は) → 三回目の試験は簡単だった。

Origin & History

目 (me) originally means 'eye' but extended metaphorically to mean 'mark' or 'point,' and then to indicate a position in a sequence. This ordinal usage has been standard in Japanese for centuries.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal