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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
Radicalbig(3)

Stroke Order

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Strokes3

Component Breakdown

=

overlaid: 一 + 人

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

Words & Expressions

Four-Character Compounds

過大評価

かだいひょうか

overestimation; overrating; overvaluing; overestimation

誇大妄想

こだいもうそう

megalomania; delusions of grandeur; megalomania

後生大事

ごしょうだいじ

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

公明正大

こうめいせいだい

fair; just and upright; open and honest; fair

針小棒大

しんしょうぼうだい

exaggeration; making a mountain out of a molehill; exaggeration

大器晩成

たいきばんせい

great talents mature late; great talents mature late

大義名分

たいぎめいぶん

just cause; good reason; pretext; just cause

大言壮語

たいげんそうご

big talk; boasting; bragging; big talk

大同小異

だいどうしょうい

essentially the same with only minor differences; 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; throwing one's weight around without knowing one's limitations

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; don't let your guard down

大願成就

たいがんじょうじゅ

realization of a great ambition; realisation of a great ambition; realization of a great ambition

広大無辺

こうだいむへん

boundless; infinite; vast; boundless

伴食大臣

ばんしょくだいじん

nominal (figurehead) minister; titular minister; nominal (figurehead) 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); 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; 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; merger

大所高所

たいしょこうしょ

broad perspective; broad view; broader point of view; broad perspective

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; large pink (Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus)

大胆不敵

だいたんふてき

daring; fearless; audacious; daring

大政奉還

たいせいほうかん

restoration of imperial rule; restoration of imperial rule

大慈大悲

だいじだいひ

great compassion and mercy; great compassion and mercy

特筆大書

とくひつたいしょ

(printed or written in) large letters; (printed or written in) large letters

寛仁大度

かんじんたいど

being generous, benevolent and magnanimous in disposition; 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; magnanimous in one's attitude of mind

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; big fuss over nothing

大喝一声

だいかついっせい

shouting in a thunderous voice; blustering out; shouting in a thunderous voice

大兵肥満

だいひょうひまん

big portly man; 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; 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; having an eye to the big picture

破顔大笑

はがんたいしょう

breaking into a hearty laugh; 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; laughing a ringing laugh

豁然大悟

かつぜんたいご

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

大盤振舞

おおばんぶるまい

lavish feast; splendid banquet; corporate largess; lavish feast

大死一番

だいしいちばん

exerting oneself to the utmost, prepared to die if necessary; 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; 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); heavy, thick, long, and big (products, esp. industrial)

大廈高楼

たいかこうろう

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

大逆無道

たいぎゃくむどう

heinous; treacherous; atrocious; heinous

大悟徹底

たいごてってい

attain divine enlightenment; perceive absolute truth; experience spiritual awakening; attain divine enlightenment

大声疾呼

たいせいしっこ

shout with a loud voice; fulminate; vociferate; shout with a loud voice

八大地獄

はちだいじごく

The Eight Greater Hells; 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; superior talent and strategic wisdom

翻然大悟

ほんぜんたいご

suddenly seeing the light; it suddenly dawning upon one; suddenly seeing the light

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; 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

Poem #60 from Hyakunin Isshu

小式部内侍Koshikibu no Naishi
11th century