大

On'yomi

ダイ・タイ

DAI / TAI

Kun'yomi

おお-・おお.きい・-おお.いに

oo / ookii / ooini

large · big

Details

Strokes3

Frequency#7

Radical大big(3)

Description

Large - a person standing with arms and legs thrown wide. Big, great, and the most positive prefix in Japanese.

Stroke Order

Strokes3

Cultural Context

Etymology

Pictograph of person standing with arms and legs spread wide.

Symbolism

Large, great, important. '大' is one of most positive prefixes in Japanese.

Related Culture & Scenes

— Great presence

Component Breakdown

大=

一人

overlaid: 一 + 人

Words & Expressions

Words written with 大

大幅おおはばbig

広大こうだいvast

大洋たいようocean

大筋おおすじoutline

肥大ひだいswelling

Four-Character Compounds

過大評価

かだいひょうか

overestimation; overrating; overvaluing

誇大妄想

こだいもうそう

megalomania; delusions of grandeur

後生大事

ごしょうだいじ

with religious zeal; with utmost devotion; take great care of

公明正大

こうめいせいだい

fair; just and upright; open and honest

針小棒大

しんしょうぼうだい

exaggeration; making a mountain out of a molehill

大器晩成

たいきばんせい

great talents mature late

大義名分

たいぎめいぶん

just cause; good reason; pretext

大言壮語

たいげんそうご

big talk; boasting; bragging

大同小異

だいどうしょうい

essentially the same with only minor differences

夜郎自大

やろうじだい

throwing one's weight around without knowing one's limitations; Yelang thinks too highly of itself

油断大敵

ゆだんたいてき

don't let your guard down; carelessness is the great enemy; danger comes soonest when it is despised

大願成就

たいがんじょうじゅ

realization of a great ambition; realisation of a great ambition

広大無辺

こうだいむへん

boundless; infinite; vast

伴食大臣

ばんしょくだいじん

nominal (figurehead) minister; titular minister

大安吉日

たいあんきちじつ

very auspicious day for all types of occasions (one of the six special days in the Japanese lunisolar calendar)

無芸大食

むげいたいしょく

lacking the talent to do anything but eat

大同団結

だいどうだんけつ

merger; (presenting a) united front

大所高所

たいしょこうしょ

broad perspective; broad view; broader point of view

大和撫子

やまとなでしこ

large pink (Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus); woman who displays the feminine virtues of old Japan

大胆不敵

だいたんふてき

daring; fearless; audacious

大政奉還

たいせいほうかん

restoration of imperial rule

大慈大悲

だいじだいひ

great compassion and mercy

特筆大書

とくひつたいしょ

(printed or written in) large letters

寛仁大度

かんじんたいど

being generous, benevolent and magnanimous in disposition

気宇壮大

きうそうだい

magnanimous in one's attitude of mind; grand in one's idea or mind-set

大山鳴動

たいざんめいどう

big fuss over nothing; much cry and little wool; much ado about nothing

大喝一声

だいかついっせい

shouting in a thunderous voice; blustering out

大兵肥満

だいひょうひまん

big portly man

胆大心小

たんだいしんしょう

being bold and courageous, but also careful and meticulous

着眼大局

ちゃくがんたいきょく

having an eye to the big picture; being aware of the general situation

破顔大笑

はがんたいしょう

breaking into a hearty laugh

呵々大笑

かかたいしょう

laughing a ringing laugh; having a hearty laugh; roaring with laughter

豁然大悟

かつぜんたいご

suddenly seeing the light; achieving full enlightenment all of a sudden

大盤振舞

おおばんぶるまい

lavish feast; splendid banquet; corporate largess

大死一番

だいしいちばん

exerting oneself to the utmost, prepared to die if necessary

一大決心

いちだいけっしん

momentous (crucial) decision

重厚長大

じゅうこうちょうだい

heavy, thick, long, and big (products, esp. industrial); massive and heavy; heavy (industry)

大廈高楼

たいかこうろう

large building and lofty tower; splendid (magnificent, palatial) structure

大逆無道

たいぎゃくむどう

heinous; treacherous; atrocious

大悟徹底

たいごてってい

attain divine enlightenment; perceive absolute truth; experience spiritual awakening

大声疾呼

たいせいしっこ

shout with a loud voice; fulminate; vociferate

八大地獄

はちだいじごく

The Eight Greater Hells

雄材大略

ゆうざいたいりゃく

superior talent and strategic wisdom; outstanding abilities and a talent for developing and implementing grand strategies

翻然大悟

ほんぜんたいご

suddenly seeing the light; it suddenly dawning upon one

八月大名

はちがつだいみょう

the 8th month (of the lunar calendar) is the quietest for farmers

Proverbs & Idioms

大は小を兼ねる

だいはしょうをかねる

The greater serves for the lesser

Something larger can substitute for something smaller

大山鳴動して鼠一匹

たいざんめいどうしてねずみいっぴき

The mountain rumbles and produces a mouse

Much ado about nothing

Poetry

和歌（百人一首） (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

大江山いく野の道の遠ければまだふみも見ず天の橋立

Mount Oe and the road through Ikuno are far. I have never set foot there, nor even seen a letter from Amanohashidate.

小式部内侍Koshikibu no Naishi

11th century

俳句 (Haiku)

五月雨や大河を前に家二軒

The rains of the fifth month — two houses facing a swollen river.

与謝蕪村Yosa Buson

1777

俳句 (Haiku)

大根引大根で道を教へけり

The radish puller pointed out my road with a radish.

小林一茶Kobayashi Issa

1814