Onyomi: タイ, ダイ · Kunyomi: -おお.いに, おお-, おお.きい · Meanings: big, large
Kanji for big, large
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The kanji 大 comes from the image of a person standing tall with arms outstretched wide. It symbolizes greatness, size, and openness — someone embracing the world with confidence and strength. In ancient times, this posture represented not just physical size but also a sense of importance and dignity. 大 captures that powerful feeling of expansion — of something grand, magnificent, and full of life.
A person with arms wide open — 大 means big, great, or grand, showing strength and confidence in every stroke.
Imagine stretching your arms as wide as you can — that’s 大, the feeling of being strong, proud, and full of greatness.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大 | だい | large, big, great, huge, vast, major, important, serious, severe | common Prefix, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 大 | おお | large, big, great, major, important, serious, heavy, loud | common Prefix |
| 大き | おおき | great, grand, large | Prefix |
| 大 | たい | nth year in the Taishō era (1912.7.30-1926.12.25) | Prefix |
| 大い | おおい | big, large, great | Archaic/formal form of na-adjective |
| 大学 | だいがく | university, college | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 大人 | おとな | adult, grown-up | common JLPT-N5 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 大使館 | たいしかん | embassy | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 大統領 | だいとうりょう | president (of a country) | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 大陸 | たいりく | continent | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |