大

See also: 犬, 太, 六, 丈, and ㅊ
大 U+5927, 大
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5927
← 夦
[U+5926]
CJK Unified Ideographs 夨 →
[U+5928]
⼤ U+2F24, ⼤
KANGXI RADICAL BIG
← ⼣
[U+2F23]
Kangxi Radicals ⼥ →
[U+2F25]

Translingual

Stroke order
3 strokes
Stroke order

Han character

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

  1. Kangxi radical #37, ⼤.

Derived characters

References

  • KangXi: 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

Chinese

simp. and trad.
大
alternative forms 亣
𠘲

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

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

Cognate with 太 (OC *tʰaːds, “too, excessively”), 泰 (OC *tʰaːds, “big”). Wang (1982) also lists 誕 (OC *l'aːnʔ, “big, magniloquent, ridiculous”) as a cognate, which Schuessler (2007) suggests is cognate with 延 (OC *lan, *lans, “to extend”) instead. 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 (“big, large, great”), 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


Note: daai6-2 - “only so big/old”.
Note: to5 - limited (e.g. 大(姑)娘, 大(姑)爺/大(姑)爷).
Note:
  • tōa/tā - vernacular;
  • tāi - literary.
Note:
  • dua7 - vernacular;
  • dai6 - literary.
  • Wu
    • (Shanghainese)
      • Wiktionary: 3du; 3da
      • Sinological IPA (key): /d̥v̩ʷ²³/, /d̥a̱²³/
Note:
  • 3du - vernacular;
  • 3da - literary.
  • Xiang
    • (Changsha)
      • Wiktionary: dai5 / da4
      • Sinological IPA (key): /tai²¹/, /ta̠⁴⁵/
Note:
  • dai5 - vernacular;
  • da4 - literary.

  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 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 (Min Nan) /to²²/
/tua²²/
Fuzhou (Min Dong) /tuɑi²⁴²/
Jian'ou (Min Bei) /tuɛ⁴⁴/
Shantou (Min Nan) /tai³⁵/
/tua³¹/
Haikou (Min Nan) /ʔda³⁵/
/ʔdua²³/

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
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
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

大

  1. of great size; big; large; huge
    Antonym: 小 (xiǎo)
    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.
    大不列顛/大不列颠  ―  dàbùlièdiān  ―  Great Britain
  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
    風吹得好大/风吹得好大 [Cantonese]  ―  fung1 ceoi1 dak1 hou2 daai6 [Jyutping]  ―  the wind is blowing fiercely
  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  ―  to be greatly different
    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]
    If you come across this kind of situation, you absolutely can leave.
    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]
    You don't even know, yesterday he came over and wildly stirred up trouble. Oh my God, he almost tore this place apart!
  5. main; major
    Antonym: 小 (xiǎo)
    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
    Antonym: 小 (xiǎo)
    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 daai6-2 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
    Antonym: 細/细 (xì)
    我大佢兩年。/我大佢两年。 [Cantonese]  ―  ngo5 daai6 keoi5 loeng5 nin4. [Jyutping]  ―  I am older than them by two years.
  10. (dialectal) father
  11. (dialectal) father's elder or younger brother
  12. (Cantonese, slang) to intimidate; to threaten
    你大我呀? [Cantonese]  ―  nei5 daai6 ngo5 aa4? [Jyutping]  ―  Are you trying to intimidate me?
    你咪大我。 [Cantonese]  ―  nei5 mai5 daai6 ngo5. [Jyutping]  ―  Don't you threaten me.
  13. (Cantonese) only so big
    咁高咁大 [Cantonese]  ―  gam3 gou1 gam3 daai6-2 [Jyutping]  ―  (please add an English translation of this example)
  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" (𝌲)
  17. a surname
Synonyms

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (大):
  • → Japanese: 大(だい) (dai)
  • → Okinawan: 大(だー) (dā)
  • → Korean: 대(大) (dae)
  • → Vietnamese: đại (大)

Others:

Pronunciation 2


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

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
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
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 大
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
dà
Middle
Chinese
‹ dajH ›
Old
Chinese
/*lˁa[t]-s/
English 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
Reading # 2/2
No. 1939
Phonetic
component
大
Rime
group
祭
Rime
subdivision
1
Corresponding
MC rime
大
Old
Chinese
/*daːds/

Definitions

大

  1. Used in 大夫 (dàifu, “doctor”).
  2. Used in 大王 (dàiwáng, “(in operas, old novels, etc.) king; ringleader”).
  3. Used in 大黃/大黄 (dàihuáng, “rhubarb”).
  4. Used in 大城 (Dàichéng, “Daicheng, Hebei”).
  5. Alternative form of 待 (dài, “to be about to; to intend to”).
  6. Alternative form of 代 (dài, “dynasty”).

Compounds

Pronunciation 3


Definitions

大

  1. (Cantonese) small
    咁大 [Cantonese]  ―  gam3 daai6-1 [Jyutping]  ―  so puny

Pronunciation 4

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

References

Japanese

Kanji

大

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds

Etymology 1

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

From Middle Chinese 大 (MC dɑiH).

Pronunciation

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. (religion) arch-

Suffix

大(だい) • (-dai) 

  1. Abbreviation of 大学 (daigaku, “university”).
    東(とう)大(だい) ― Tōdai ― Tokyo Univ.
    阪(はん)大(だい) ― Handai ― Osaka Univ.
    北(ほく)大(だい) ― Hokudai ― Hokkaido Univ.
    北(ほく)陸(りく)大(だい) ― Hokurikudai ― Hokuriku Univ.
Usage notes

This is often the second half of the two-character shorthand name of universities, for example 東大 (Tōdai, “Tokyo University”). Reading of first character often changes from kun'yomi to on'yomi.

Derived terms

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

References

  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 大 (MC dɑiH).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448땡〮 (Yale: ttáy)
Middle Korean
TextEumhun
Gloss (hun)Reading
Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576크다 (Yale: khuta)대 (Yale: tay)

Pronunciation

  • (in 大口, 大邱, 大斗, 大文, and 大田):
  • (big; main; etc.):
    • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [tɛ(ː)] ~ [te̞(ː)]
    • Phonetic hangul: [대(ː)/데(ː)]
      • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Wikisource 大 (eumhun 큰 대 (keun dae))

  1. Hanja form? of 대 (“large; big”). [noun]
  2. Hanja form? of 대 (“big, great; main, major”). [affix]

Compounds

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전/電子字典.

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /deː/

Prefix

大 (hiragana でー, rōmaji dē-)

  1. big, large

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʔuɸu/

Prefix

大 (hiragana うふ, rōmaji ufu-)

  1. big; great
  2. greater
Derived terms

Vietnamese

Han character

大: Hán Việt readings: đại (度(đạc)柰(nại)切(thiết))[1][2][3]
大: Nôm readings: đại[1][2][3][4], đài[1][2], dãy[3][5], dảy[3], đẫy[3]

  1. chữ Hán form of đại (“big; great”).

Compounds

References

  1. Nguyễn (2014).
  2. Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. Trần (2004).
  4. Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  5. Hồ (1976).
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