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大
dà
big
这个苹果很大。
This apple is big.
formal
large in size, extent, or amount
大城市
big city
大雨
heavy rain
Used before nouns to indicate size or importance.
formal
oldest or eldest
大儿子
eldest son
formal
great in degree or intensity
大声
loudly
大冷天
very cold day
formal
indicating the most important or senior
大使
ambassador
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Positioning with Nouns
大 is typically placed before nouns to describe size or importance (e.g., 大房子 'big house'). It does not follow nouns like in English ('house big').
Gold Rule
Size vs. Importance
大 can describe physical size (大树 'big tree') or metaphorical importance (大问题 'big problem'). Context determines the meaning.
Word Origin
The character 大 originated from the Oracle Bone Script (甲骨文) around 1200 BCE. It depicts a person with outstretched arms, symbolizing 'big' or 'great'. The original meaning was 'adult' or 'grown-up', later extended to 'large' in size or extent.
Usage Notes
大 is a versatile adjective used to describe size, age, or importance. It often appears before nouns (e.g., 大门 'main gate') or as part of compound words (e.g., 大学 'university'). In spoken Chinese, it can also express emphasis (e.g., 太好了 'very good').
Word Breakdown
大
big/large
root汉英词典