大

See also: 犬, 太, 六, 丈, and ㅊ

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

大 (Kangxi radical 37, 大+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 大 (K), four-corner 4003₀ or 4080₀, composition ⿻一人)

1. Kangxi radical #37, ⼤.

Derived characters

• Index:Chinese radical/大
• 达, 庆 (Simplified from 達, 慶)
• 㐲, 𠯈, 𡉑, 𡚻, 㣕, 忕, 𢪂, 汏, 𭥏, 杕, 𣧂, 𬌚, 𭾚, 𮀋, 𬚓, 𮕨, 𮗹, 軑(轪), 釱, 馱(驮), 𬵃(𬶃), 㕦, 戻, 旲, 芖, 因

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 248, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5831
• Dae Jaweon: page 492, character 25
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 520, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5927

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		大

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 大
Shang		Western Zhou		Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)	Libian (compiled in Qing)
Bronze inscriptions	Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Shizhoupian script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts	Clerical script

Characters in the same phonetic series (大) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
馱	*daːl, *daːds
大	*daːds, *daːds
忕	*tʰaːds, *daːds, *djads
太	*tʰaːds
汰	*tʰaːds
汏	*daːds, *tʰaːd
軑	*daːds, *deːds
釱	*daːds, *deːds
达	*tʰeːds
杕	*deːds

Ideogram (指事) : a person 人 with arms stretched out as far as possible, implying the meaning of big/great/large.

Compare with 尢, which is a man with bent legs.

Compare also 文, which is a man with arms outstretched and a crest or tattoo on his chest, and to 夭, which is a man with arms outstretched and leaning to side (running).

Etymology

Three pronunciations can be found in Modern Standard Mandarin:

1. Modern dà, from Middle Chinese dɑH, from Old Chinese *lˤaːts. The phonological development from Old Chinese to Middle Chinese is irregular. Original sense: "big" (Shijing). Derived senses: "size" (Mozi), "thick" (Zhuangzi), "to respect" (Mengzi), "to respect" (Xunzi), "to extol" (Gongyang Zhuan), "to exaggerate" (Classic of Rites), "arrogant" (Guoyu), "good" (I Ching), "(of time) long" (Erya), "senior" (Shijing).
2. Modern dài, from Middle Chinese dɑiH, from Old Chinese *lˤaːts. This Middle Chinese pronunciation-preserving (i.e. literary) pronunciation occurs only in compounds such as 大夫 (dàifu, “doctor”) and 大王 (dàiwang, “(in operas, old novels) king; ringleader”).
3. Modern tài, from Middle Chinese tʰɑiH, from Old Chinese *l̥ˤaːts. This is the ancient form of 太 (tài, “too, excessively”) and this orthographical usage is obsolete in modern languages.

Pronunciation 2), the diphthong reading, is traditionally regarded as the correct one. However, the monophthong reading 1) has been recorded as early as Han Dynasty, and Sui-Tang rhyme books record both. Both readings are reflected in Sino-xenic readings in non-Sinitic languages, although the diphthong readings dominate in compounds. Axel Schüssler postulates that all pronunciations can eventually be traced back to liquid initials, i.e. 1,2) **laːts, 3) **hlaːts.

The three pronunciations are cognate. Within Chinese, they are cognate with 太 (OC *tʰaːds, “too, excessively”), 泰 (OC *tʰaːds, “big”), 誕 (OC *l'aːnʔ, “big, magniloquent, ridiculous”). There are no unambiguous Tibeto-Burman cognates. Proto-Tibeto-Burman *taj (“big”), from which came Written Tibetan མཐེ་བོ (mthe bo, “thumb”), Anong tʰɛ (“big; large; great”), Mikir tʰè, ketʰè ("id."), Burmese တယ် (tai, “very”), is often compared with. There is no final –s in the Tibeto-Burman words, but a –y, which, according to James Matisoff, "indicates emergent quality in stative verbs". Also compare Chinese 多 (OC *ʔl'aːl, “many, much”), 都 (OC *taː, “all”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): dà (da⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄚˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): da⁴

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): да (da, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): daai⁶ / daai^6-2 / daai^6-1

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ai⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): tai⁵ / to⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): thai

  (Meixian, Guangdong): tai⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): da³
• Northern Min (KCR): duōi
• Eastern Min (BUC): duâi
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tōa / tāi / tā

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dua⁷ / dai⁶

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶du; ⁶da
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): dai⁵ / da⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dà
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dà
    • Wade–Giles: ta⁴
    • Yale: dà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dah
    • Palladius: да (da)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tä⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: da⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: da
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ta²¹³/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: да (da, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ta⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: daai⁶ / daai^6-2 / daai^6-1
    • Yale: daaih / dáai / dāai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: daai⁶ / daai^6-2 / daai^6-1
    • Guangdong Romanization: dai⁶ / dai^6-2 / dai^6-1
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taːi̯²²/, /taːi̯²²⁻³⁵/, /taːi̯²²⁻⁵⁵/

Note:

• daai6-2 - “only so big/old”;
• daai6-1 - “small”.

• (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  • Wiktionary: ai⁵
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ai³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: tai⁵ / to⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰai¹¹/, /tʰo¹¹/

Note: to5 - limited (e.g. 大(姑)娘, 大(姑)爺／大(姑)爷).

• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thai
    • Hakka Romanization System: tai
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tai⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰai̯⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: tai⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰaɪ⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: da³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ta⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: duōi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tuɛ⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: duâi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tuɑi²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tōa
    • Tâi-lô: tuā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: doa
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tua⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tua³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /tua²²/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāi
    • Tâi-lô: tāi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dai
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tai³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tai⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /tai²²/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tā
    • Tâi-lô: tā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: da
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ta²²/

Note:

• tōa/tā - vernacular;
• tāi - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: dua⁷ / dai⁶
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tuā / tăi
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tua¹¹/, /tai³⁵/

Note:

• dua7 - vernacular;
• dai6 - literary.

• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶du; ⁶da
    • MiniDict: du^去; da^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³du; ³da
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /du²³/, /da²³/

Note:

• 3du - vernacular;
• 3da - literary.

• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: dai⁵ / da⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tai̯²¹/, /ta̠⁴⁵/

Note:

• dai5 - vernacular;
• da4 - literary.

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 大 (大小)
Mandarin	Beijing	/ta⁵¹/
	Harbin	/ta⁵³/
	Tianjin	/tɑ⁵³/
	Jinan	/ta²¹/
	Qingdao	/ta²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/ta³¹²/
	Xi'an	/ta⁴⁴/
	Xining	/ta²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/ta¹³/
	Lanzhou	/ta¹³/
	Ürümqi	/ta²¹³/
	Wuhan	/ta³⁵/
	Chengdu	/ta¹³/
	Guiyang	/ta²¹³/
	Kunming	/ta̠²¹²/
	Nanjing	/tɑ⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/ta⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ta⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/tei³⁵/ /tɑ³⁵/
	Hohhot	/ta⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/da²³/ /du²³/
	Suzhou	/dəu³¹/
	Hangzhou	/dɑ¹³/ /do¹³/
	Wenzhou	/da²²/ /dɤu²²/
Hui	Shexian	/tʰa²²/ /tʰo²²/
	Tunxi	/tʰo¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ta⁵⁵/ /tai¹¹/
	Xiangtan	/dai²¹/
Gan	Nanchang	/tʰo²¹/ ～娘,姑母
Hakka	Meixian	/tʰai⁵³/
	Taoyuan	/tʰɑi⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/tai²²/
	Nanning	/tai²²/
	Hong Kong	/tai²²/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/to²²/ /tua²²/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/tuɑi²⁴²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/tuɛ⁴⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/tai³⁵/ /tua³¹/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ʔda³⁵/ /ʔdua²³/

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• Middle Chinese: dajH, daH

Rime
Character	大	大
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	定 (7)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	泰 (25)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	徒蓋切	唐佐切
Baxter	dajH	daH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dɑiH/	/dɑH/
Pan Wuyun	/dɑiH/	/dɑH/
Shao Rongfen	/dɑiH/	/dɑH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dajH/	/daH/
Li Rong	/dɑiH/	/dɑH/
Wang Li	/dɑiH/	/dɑH/
Bernard Karlgren	/dʱɑiH/	/dʱɑH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dài	duò
Expected Cantonese Reflex	daai6	do6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*lˤat-s/, /*lˤa[t]-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*daːds/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	大	大
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	dà	dà
Middle Chinese	‹ daH ›	‹ dajH ›
Old Chinese	/*lˁat-s/ (MC F!)	/*lˁa[t]-s/
English	big	big
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	大	大
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	1934	1939
Phonetic component	大	大
Rime group	祭	祭
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	䭾	大
Old Chinese	/*daːds/	/*daːds/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 大

1. of great size; big; large; huge

   Template:zh-ant

   • 這個太大了！／这个太大了！  ―  Zhè ge tài dà le!  ―  This is too big!

   • 呢條褲好大條。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     呢条裤好大条。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     ni¹ tiu⁴ fu³ hou² daai⁶ tiu⁴. [Jyutping]

     This pair of pants is very big.

2. big; great

   • 中美關係已有很大改善。 [MSC, trad.]
     中美关系已有很大改善。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhōng Měi guānxì yǐ yǒu hěn dà gǎishàn. [Pinyin]

     Relations between China and America have improved greatly.

   • 漢語大詞典／汉语大词典  ―  Hànyǔ Dà Cídiǎn  ―  the Great Chinese Dictionary
3. great of its kind
   • 昨天下大雨。  ―  Zuótiān xià dàyǔ.  ―  There was heavy rain yesterday.
   • 好大𠹻味 [Cantonese]  ―  hou² daai⁶ zam⁶ mei⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  a very strong smell
4. in an extreme manner; greatly
   • 大哭  ―  dà kū  ―  to cry violently
   • 大吃一驚／大吃一惊  ―  dàchīyījīng  ―  to be greatly shocked
   • 大不相同  ―  dà bù xiàngtóng  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 你遇到這種情況，大可以走人哪。 [MSC, trad.]
     你遇到这种情况，大可以走人哪。 [MSC, simp.]

     Nǐ yùdào zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng, dà kěyǐ zǒurén na. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 你可不知道，他昨兒過來大折騰了一場。好家伙，差點兒沒把這兒拆嘍！ [dialectal Mandarin, trad.]
     你可不知道，他昨儿过来大折腾了一场。好家伙，差点儿没把这儿拆喽！ [dialectal Mandarin, simp.]

     Nǐ kě bù zhīdào, tā zuór guòlai dà zhēteng le yī chǎng. Hǎojiāhuo, chàdiǎnr méi bǎ zhèr chāi lou! [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. main; major

   • 他們將車一直開到大門口。 [MSC, trad.]
     他们将车一直开到大门口。 [MSC, simp.]

     Tāmen jiāng chē yīzhí kāi dào dà ménkǒu. [Pinyin]

     They drove right up to the main gate.

   • 他是一家石油公司的大股東。 [MSC, trad.]
     他是一家石油公司的大股东。 [MSC, simp.]

     Tā shì yījiā shíyóu gōngsī de dà gǔdōng. [Pinyin]

     He is a major stockholder in an oil company.

6. well-known; successful (only applied to some occupations)
   • 大書法家／大书法家  ―  dà shūfǎjiā  ―  a well-known calligrapher
7. mature; grown up

   See also: 老

   • 你多大了？  ―  Nǐ duō dà le?  ―  How old are you?
   • 她比他大。  ―  Tā bǐ tā dà.  ―  She is older than him.

   • 你隻狗係咁大㗎喇。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     你只狗系咁大㗎喇。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     nei⁵ zek³ gau² hai⁶ gam³ daai^6-2 gaa³ laa³. [Jyutping]

     Your dog isn't going to grow any older.

8. (Cantonese) to grow up
   • 喺廣州大／喺广州大 [Cantonese]  ―  hai² gwong² zau¹ daai⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  to grow up in Guangzhou
9. (Cantonese) to be older than

   Template:zh-ant

10. (dialectal) father
11. (dialectal) father's elder or younger brother
12. (Cantonese) small
    • 咁大 [Cantonese]  ―  gam³ daai^6-1 [Jyutping]  ―  so puny
13. (Cantonese, slang) to intimidate; to threaten
    • 你大我呀？ [Cantonese]  ―  nei⁵ daai⁶ ngo⁵ aa⁴? [Jyutping]  ―  Are you trying to intimidate me?
14. (Cantonese, euphemistic) number two

    • 我好急呀，要去大。 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

      ngo⁵ hou² gap¹ aa³, jiu³ heoi³ daai⁶. [Jyutping]

      I need to go number two.

15. Short for 大學／大学 (dàxué, “university”). Used only in the abbreviation of the name.
    • 北大  ―  Běidà  ―  Peking University
16. 45th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "greatness" (𝌲)

Synonyms

• (of great size): (literary) 鴻／鸿 (hóng)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): dài, dà (dai⁴, da⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄞˋ, ㄉㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): daai⁶

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): thai
• Jin (Wiktionary): dai³
• Eastern Min (BUC): dâi
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tāi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dai⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dài
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄞˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dài
    • Wade–Giles: tai⁴
    • Yale: dài
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: day
    • Palladius: дай (daj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taɪ̯⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dà
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dà
    • Wade–Giles: ta⁴
    • Yale: dà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dah
    • Palladius: да (da)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tä⁵¹/

Note:

• dà - variant used in 大王 (“ringleader; monarch”).

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: daai⁶
    • Yale: daaih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: daai⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: dai⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taːi̯²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thai
    • Hakka Romanization System: tai
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tai⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰai̯⁵⁵/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: dai³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tai⁴⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: dâi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑi²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāi
    • Tâi-lô: tāi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dai
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tai²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tai⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tai²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tai³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tai³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dai⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tăi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tai³⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: dajH

Rime
Character	大
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	泰 (25)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	徒蓋切
Baxter	dajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dɑiH/
Pan Wuyun	/dɑiH/
Shao Rongfen	/dɑiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dajH/
Li Rong	/dɑiH/
Wang Li	/dɑiH/
Bernard Karlgren	/dʱɑiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dài
Expected Cantonese Reflex	daai6

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 大

1. Used in 大夫 (dàifu, “doctor”).
2. Used in 大城 (Dàichéng, “Daicheng, Hebei”).
3. Used in 大王 (dàiwáng, “(in operas, old novels) king; ringleader”).

Pronunciation 3

For pronunciation and definitions of 大 – see 太 (“too; so; etc.”). (This character is an ancient form of 太).

For pronunciation and definitions of 大 – see 泰 (“big; large; great; extensive; etc.”). (This character is an ancient form of 泰).

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (大):

• → Japanese: 大(だい) (dai); 大(たい) (tai)
• → Okinawan: 大(だー) (dā); 大(たー) (tā)
• → Korean: 대(大) (dae)
• → Vietnamese: đại (大)

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

大

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: だ (da); だい (dai, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: た (ta); たい (tai, Jōyō)
• Kun: おお (ō, 大, Jōyō)^{←おほ (ofo, 大, historical)}; おおきい (ōkii, 大きい, Jōyō); おおいに (ōini, 大いに, Jōyō)^{←おほいに (ofoini, 大いに, historical)}
• Nanori: うふ (ufu); お (o); た (ta); たかし (takashi); とも (tomo); はじめ (hajime); ひろ (hiro); ひろし (hiroshi); ふとし (futoshi); まさ (masa); まさる (masaru); もと (moto); ゆたか (yutaka); わ (wa)

Compounds

Compounds

• 大安(たいあん) (taian, “lucky day”)
• 大(たい)意(い) (taii, “schema”)
• 大陰唇(だいいんしん) (daiinshin, “labia majora”)
• 大家族(だいかぞく) (daikazoku, “extended family”)
• 大(たい)河(が)小説(しょうせつ) (taiga shōsetsu, “saga novel”)
• 大(たい)火(か) (taika, “large fire”)
• 大会(たいかい) (taikai, “convention; rally”)
• 大海(たいかい) (taikai, “ocean”)
• 大学(だいがく) (daigaku, “university”)
• 大寒(だいかん) (daikan, “midwinter”)
• 大観(たいかん) (taikan, “broad overview”)
• 大(たい)気(き) (taiki, “atmosphere”)
• 大規模(だいきぼ) (daikibo, “large-scale”)
• 大(たい)儀(ぎ) (taigi, “state ceremony”)
• 大(たい)義(ぎ) (taigi, “justice”)
• 大(たい)逆(ぎゃく) (taigyaku, “high treason”)
• 大(たい)挙(きょ) (taikyo, “in force”)
• 大(たい)虚(きょ) (taikyo, “Taikyo”)
• 大(たい)局(きょく) (taikyoku, “general situation”)
• 大群(たいぐん) (taigun, “large herd; large flock; large crowd”)
• 大軍(たいぐん) (taigun, “large army”)
• 大系(たいけい) (taikei, “compendium”)
• 大言壮(たいげんそう)語(ご) (taigensōgo, “boasting; bragging”)
• 大(だい)工(く) (daiku, “carpenter”)
• 大綱(たいこう) (taikō, “fundamental principals; general outline”)
• 大黒天(だいこくてん) (daikokuten, “god of wealth”)
• 大根(だいこん) (daikon, “daikon”)
• 大(たい)佐(さ) (taisa, “colonel; navy captain”)
• 大(たい)差(さ) (taisa, “great difference”)
• 大罪(だいざい) (daizai, “serious crime”)
• 大(たい)使(し) (taishi, “ambassador”)
• 大(たい)志(し) (taishi, “ambition”)
• 大(だい)事(じ) (daiji, “important; serious”)
• 大(たい)樹(じゅ) (taiju, “huge tree”)
• 大(たい)衆(しゅう) (taishū, “general public”)
• 大(たい)暑(しょ) (taisho, “midsummer's day”)
• 大(たい)将(しょう) (taishō, “general; admiral”)
• 大(だい)小(しょう) (daishō, “various sizes; large and small; a pair of swords worn together”)
• 大丈(だいじょう)夫(ぶ) (daijōbu, “all right; okay; safe”)
• 大(たい)食(しょく) (taishoku, “gluttony”)
• 大臣(だいじん) (daijin, “cabinet minister”)
• 大西洋(たいせいよう) (taiseiyō, “Atlantic Ocean”)
• 大切(たいせつ) (taisetsu, “important; valuable”)
• 大戦(たいせん) (taisen, “great battle; great war”)
• 大前庭腺(だいぜんていせん) (daizenteisen, “Bartholin's gland”)
• 大胆(だいたん) (daitan, “bold; daring”)
• 大動脈(だいどうみゃく) (daidōmyaku, “aorta”)
• 大同小(だいどうしょう)異(い) (daidōshōi, “with only minor differences”)
• 大統(だいとう)領(りょう) (daitōryō, “president”)
• 大脳(だいのう) (dainō, “brain”)
• 大名(だいみょう) (daimyō, “feudal lord”)
• 大洋(たいよう) (taiyō, “ocean”)
• 大(だい)理(り)石(せき) (dairiseki, “marble”)
• 大陸(たいりく) (tairiku, “continent”)
• 大量(たいりょう) (tairyō, “a large amount”)
• 大人(おとな) (otona, “adult”)
• 大邱(てぐ) (Tegu, “Daegu”)
• 大和(やまと) (Yamato, “Yamato”)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
大
だい Grade: 1
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 大 (MC dajH).

Prefix

大(だい) • (dai-) 

1. big, large

   大(だい)ピンチ

   dai-pinchi

   tremendous crisis

   大(だい)ヒットする

   dai-hitto suru

   to become a smash hit

2. the large part of
3. university
4. (religion) arch-

Usage notes

This is often the first half two-character shorthand name of universities, for example 東大 (Tokyo University, “Tōdai”)

Derived terms

• 大(だい)主(しゅ)教(きょう) (daishukyō, “archbishop”)
• 大(だい)天(てん)使(し) (daitenshi, “archangel”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
大
おお Grade: 1
kun’yomi

/opo/ → /ofo/ → /owo/ → /oː/

From Old Japanese 大 (opo), from Proto-Japonic *əpə.

Prefix

大(おお) • (ō-) ^{←おほ (ofo)?}

1. big; great

   大(おお)馬鹿(ばか)な

   ō-baka na

   extremely foolish

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 大(おお)きい (ōkī, “big, large, broad, immense”)
• 大(おお)きな (ōkina, “big, large”)
• 多(おお)く (ōku, “mostly, a lot, majority”)
• 大字(おおあざ) (ōaza, “larger section of a village”)
• 大穴(おおあな) (ōana, “large hole, deficit”)
• 大(おお)-海原(うなばら) (ō-unabara)
• 大海(おおうみ) (ōumi, “ocean; fabric pattern”)
• 大(おお)火事(かじ) (ō-kaji, “big fire”)
• 大河(おおかわ) (ōkawa, “river”)
• 大君(おおきみ) (ōkimi, “emperor; king”)
• 大口(おおぐち) (ōguchi, “large amount; big mouth; big talk”)
• 大(おお)喧嘩(げんか) (ō-genka, “big fight”)
• 大阪(おおさか) (Ōsaka)
• 大騒(おおさわ)ぎ (ō-sawagi)
• 大潮(おおしお) (ōshio, “spring or flood tide”)
• 大(おお)地震(じしん) (ō-jishin, “huge earthquake”)
• 大関(おおぜき) (ōzeki, “second highest sumo rank”)
• 大(おお)掃除(そうじ) (ō-sōji, “through cleanups”)
• 大(おお)騒動(そうどう) (ō-sōdō, “huge mess”)
• 大(おお)道具(どうぐ) (ō-dōgu, “stage settings”)
• 大幅(おおはば) (ōhaba, “full-width; drastic”)
• 大判(おおばん) (ōban, “big size”)
• 大様(おおよう) (ōyō, “large-hearted; generous”)
• 大業(おおわざ) (ōwaza, “great feat”)

Related terms

• 御(お) (o-), 御(おん) (on-)
• 多(おお)い (ōi, “many, a large number of”)

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Korean

Hanja

大 • (dae, tae)

• Eumhun:
  • Sound (hangeul): 대, 태
  • Name (hangeul): 크다
    

1. Large.

Compounds

• 방대 (厖大, bangdae)
• 대음순 (大陰脣, daeeumsun, “labia majora”)
• 적소성대 (積小成大, jeoksoseongdae)
• 전권대사 (全權大使, jeon'gwondaesa)

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Okinawan

Kanji

大

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• On (unclassified): でー (dē); てー (tē)
• Kun: うふ (ufu, 大); うー (ū, 大)

Compounds

Compounds

• 大人(うふっちゅ) (ufutchu, “adult”)
• 大(てー)切(しち) (tēshichi, “important”)
• 大(うふ)大和(やまとぅ) (Ufuyamatu, “Japan”)
• 大(うふ)家(やー) (ufuyā, “landord, landlady”)

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deː/

Prefix

1. big, large

Etymology 2

From Proto-Ryukyuan *opo, from Proto-Japonic *əpə.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔuɸu/

Prefix

1. big; great
2. greater

Derived terms

• 大人(うふっちゅ) (ufutchu, “adult”)
• 大(うふ)大和(やまとぅ) (Ufuyamatu, “Japan”)

Related terms

• 多(うふ)さん (ufusan, “many, a large number of”)

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Vietnamese

Han character

大: Hán Việt readings: đại (度(đạc)柰(nại)切(thiết))
大: Nôm readings: đại, đài, dãy, dảy, đẫy

1. Template:han tu form of

Compounds

• 偉大 (vĩ đại)
• 大學 (đại học)
• 大德 (đại đức)
• 大洋 (đại dương)
• 大越 (Đại Việt)