〜きっての (~kitte no) — the very best / most ~ in (the group)
A formal way to praise someone or something as 'number one' within a company, town or field.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- The local news introduces a ramen shop: 'the most popular shop in town'. In Japanese: 「町きっての人気店」.
- It sounds more formal and grand than a plain 「一番」or 「最も」, so you meet it in news, profiles of people and ads.
Meaning
「〜きっての」= praising something as 'the very best, number one' within a group or place (a company, town, prefecture, industry, class).
How to attach
- A group or place noun in front and another noun after: 社内きっての実力者・県内きっての名門校
- A person's name cannot go in front (田中さんきっての ✗).
Versus what you know
Don't mix it up with the 「〜ならでは」you learned earlier: 「ならでは」= a feature only that person or place has (日本ならではの文化); 「きっての」= the top within a group.
Watch out
It is for praise only — not said about bad things like 'the laziest in the company'; use plain language like 「社内一の怠け者」there.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
山田部長は、社内きっての実力者として知られている。
やまだぶちょうは、しゃないきってのじつりょくしゃとしてしられている。
Department head Yamada is known as the most capable person in the company.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 社内 = within the company (the group) → 「きっての」 = the most ~ within it → then the N: 実力者 = capable person → として知られている = is known as.
この店は町きっての人気店で、いつも行列ができている。
このみせはまちきってのにんきてんで、いつもぎょうれつができている。
This is the most popular shop in town — there's always a line.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 町 = town (a place) → 「きっての」 → then the N: 人気店 = popular shop → で、 → the proof: いつも行列ができている.
彼女は県内きっての名門高校を一番の成績で卒業した。
かのじょはけんないきってのめいもんこうこうをいちばんのせいせきでそつぎょうした。
She graduated top of her class from the most prestigious high school in the prefecture.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 県内 = within the prefecture (a place) → 「きっての」 → then the N: 名門高校 = prestigious high school → を卒業した.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「彼は業界___技術者として有名だ。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: A noun (技術者) follows — what links to it?
N + きっての + N. 業界きっての技術者 = the best engineer in the industry.
In which sentence is 「きっての」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Praise or criticism?
きっての is for praise only. 'Lazy' is negative — say 「社内一の怠け者」.
'This is the finest restaurant in the city' — which sentence?
💡 Hint: Which form means 'number one within a group'?
市内きっての = the best in the city. 「ならでは」= a feature found only there; it does not mean 'number one'.
Your score: /3