一杯

• Reading: いっぱい
• Romaji: ippai
• Kanji breakdown: 一 (ichi/ip) — one; 杯 (hai/pai) — cup, glass, counter for drinks
• Pronunciation: /ip.pa.i/

Meaning

Full; to the utmost; one cup/glass of. Used to express fullness or a single serving of a drink.

Has two main uses: as a counter meaning 'one cup/glass' (コーヒーを一杯), and as an adverb/adjective meaning 'full' or 'a lot' (いっぱいある, there are a lot). In casual speech, いっぱい written in hiragana often means 'many' or 'a lot.'

Examples

1. コーヒーを一杯ください。 One cup of coffee, please.
2. お腹がいっぱいで、もう食べられない。 I'm so full I can't eat any more.
3. 公園に人がいっぱいいました。 The park was packed with people.

Usage Guide

Context: restaurants, daily life, expressions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 一 (ichi/ip, one) and 杯 (hai/pai, cup/glass). The literal meaning 'one cupful' extended metaphorically to mean 'full to capacity.'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal