Word
老大 (lǎo dà) — Chinese word meaning
HSK 7
老大 (lǎo dà) is a Chinese word: very. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.
Meaning of 老大
副 fù adverb
very
他老大不高兴。
tā lǎo dà bù gāo xìng
He is very unhappy.
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Word breakdown
老 lǎo — intensifying prefix meaning 'very'
Words with this character (23)
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Example
她是我们的数学老师。
tā shì wǒ men de shù xué lǎo shī
She is our math teacher.
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Example
那位老人每天早上都去公园散步。
nà wèi lǎo rén měi tiān zǎo shang dōu qù gōng yuán sàn bù
That elderly person goes to the park for a walk every morning.
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Example
我很久没回老家了。
wǒ hěn jiǔ méi huí lǎo jiā le
I haven't been back to my hometown in a long time.
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Example
她的老年生活很充实。
tā de lǎo nián shēng huó hěn chōng shí
Her life in old age is very fulfilling.
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- 老 intensifying prefix emphasizing continuous action
- 是 combines with 老 to form adverb meaning 'always'
Example
他老是迟到。
tā lǎo shì chí dào
He's always late.
Show more (+18)
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Example
老虎是森林之王。
lǎo hǔ shì sēn lín zhī wáng
The tiger is the king of the forest.
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Example
这是一座古老的建筑。
zhè shì yī zuò gǔ lǎo de jiàn zhù
This is an ancient building.
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Example
我老公在公司工作。
wǒ lǎo gōng zài gōng sī gōng zuò
My husband works at a company.
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Example
他很爱他的老婆。
tā hěn ài tā de lǎo po
He loves his wife very much.
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Example
这家餐厅的老板是我朋友。
zhè jiā cān tīng de lǎo bǎn shì wǒ péng you
The owner of this restaurant is my friend.
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- 老 prefix indicating familiarity and respect
- 百 hundred (representing many or all)
- 姓 surname (representing families/people)
Example
政府应该为老百姓做实事。
zhèng fǔ yīng gāi wèi lǎo bǎi xìng zuò shí shì
The government should do practical things for the common people.
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Example
子女有养老的责任。
zǐ nǚ yǒu yǎng lǎo de zé rèn
Children have the responsibility to provide for their elderly parents.
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Example
我奶奶住在一家很好的养老院。
wǒ nǎi nai zhù zài yì jiā hěn hǎo de yǎng lǎo yuàn
My grandmother lives in a very good nursing home.
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Example
这位老太太很和蔼可亲。
zhè wèi lǎo tài tai hěn hé ǎi kě qīn
This old lady is very kind and amiable.
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Example
他是个老实人。
tā shì gè lǎo shi rén
He is an honest person.
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Example
这只猫很会抓老鼠。
zhè zhī māo hěn huì zhuā lǎo shǔ
This cat is very good at catching mice.
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Example
科学家正在研究如何延缓衰老。
kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū rú hé yán huǎn shuāi lǎo
Scientists are studying how to delay aging.
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Example
他是公司的元老，工作了三十年。
tā shì gōng sī de yuán lǎo gōng zuò le sān shí nián
He is a veteran of the company, having worked here for thirty years.
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Example
听到有人说家乡话，原来是老乡啊！
tīng dào yǒu rén shuō jiā xiāng huà yuán lái shì lǎo xiāng a
Hearing someone speak the hometown dialect, it turns out they're a fellow townsman!
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- 老 old, elderly (indicates age and seniority)
- 人 person (the individual being referred to)
- 家 suffix adding respect and warmth to the term
Example
老人家，请坐。
lǎo rén jiā qǐng zuò
Please sit down, elderly sir/madam.
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- 老 old, elderly (indicates this is a spouse in old age)
- 伴 companion, partner (core meaning of spouse)
- 儿 diminutive suffix (adds colloquial, affectionate tone)
Example
我的老伴儿今天去看医生了。
wǒ de lǎo bàn r jīn tiān qù kàn yī shēng le
My spouse went to see the doctor today.
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Example
为了防止皮肤老化，她每天都使用防晒霜。
wèi le fáng zhǐ pí fū lǎo huà tā měi tiān dōu shǐ yòng fáng shài shuāng
To prevent skin aging, she uses sunscreen every day.
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Example
这家老字号已经有一百多年的历史了。
zhè jiā lǎo zì hào yǐ jīng yǒu yì bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le
This time-honored brand has over a hundred years of history.
大 dà — great, much; combines with 老 to mean 'very'
Words with this character (82)
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Example
他在大学学习中文。
tā zài dà xué xué xí zhōng wén
He studies Chinese at university.
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- 大 big, great (as part of 'university')
- 学 study, learning (as part of 'university')
- 生 student, person who studies
Example
他是一名大学生。
tā shì yī míng dà xué shēng
He is a college student.
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Example
大家好！
dà jiā hǎo
Hello everyone!
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Example
他已经是大人了，可以自己做决定。
tā yǐ jīng shì dà rén le kě yǐ zì jǐ zuò jué dìng
He's already an adult, he can make his own decisions.
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- 大 big, large (representing the larger end of the size spectrum)
- 小 small, little (representing the smaller end of the size spectrum)
Example
这件衣服的大小正合适。
zhè jiàn yī fu de dà xiǎo zhèng hé shì
The size of this clothing is just right.
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Example
他大概明天会来。
tā dà gài míng tiān huì lái
He will probably come tomorrow.
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- 大 large, giant (indicating the size)
- 熊 bear (indicating bear-like characteristics)
- 猫 cat (referring to cat-like facial features)
Example
大熊猫是中国的国宝。
dà xióng māo shì zhōng guó de guó bǎo
Giant pandas are China's national treasure.
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- 大 large, big (indicating it's a substantial outer garment)
- 衣 clothing, garment (the core meaning indicating this is a piece of clothing)
Example
今天很冷，你应该穿大衣。
jīn tiān hěn lěng nǐ yīng gāi chuān dà yī
It's very cold today, you should wear a coat.
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Example
我在酒店大厅等你。
wǒ zài jiǔ diàn dà tīng děng nǐ
I'll wait for you in the hotel lobby.
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Example
这个决定大大提高了效率。
zhè ge jué dìng dà dà tí gāo le xiào lǜ
This decision greatly improved efficiency.
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Example
明天早上八点有一辆大巴去机场。
míng tiān zǎo shàng bā diǎn yǒu yī liàng dà bā qù jī chǎng
There's a bus going to the airport at 8 AM tomorrow morning.
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- 大 general, broad (conveys roughness of estimate)
- 约 approximately, about (core meaning of approximation)
Example
这本书大约有三百页。
zhè běn shū dà yuē yǒu sān bǎi yè
This book has approximately three hundred pages.
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- 大 great, vast (emphasizes the grandeur and scope of nature)
- 自 self, natural (indicates the inherent, spontaneous quality)
- 然 thus, so (reinforces the natural state of being)
Example
我们应该保护大自然。
wǒ men yīng gāi bǎo hù dà zì rán
We should protect nature.
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Example
这次国际音乐大赛吸引了很多选手。
zhè cì guó jì yīn yuè dà sài xī yǐn le hěn duō xuǎn shǒu
This international music competition attracted many contestants.
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Example
我们需要大量的时间来完成这个项目。
wǒ men xū yào dà liàng de shí jiān lái wán chéng zhè ge xiàng mù
We need a large amount of time to complete this project.
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Example
这是人类历史上伟大的时刻。
zhè shì rén lèi lì shǐ shàng wěi dà de shí kè
This is a great moment in human history.
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Example
结婚是人生的大事。
jié hūn shì rén shēng de dà shì
Marriage is a major event in life.
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Example
五大于三。
wǔ dà yú sān
Five is greater than three.
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Example
这本书很受大众欢迎。
zhè běn shū hěn shòu dà zhòng huān yíng
This book is very popular with the masses.
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- 大 large, major, great (emphasizing scale and importance)
- 会 meeting, conference, gathering (the core concept of assembly)
Example
明天我们要参加全国代表大会。
míng tiān wǒ men yào cān jiā quán guó dài biǎo dà huì
Tomorrow we will attend the national congress.
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Example
政府大力支持教育发展。
zhèng fǔ dà lì zhī chí jiào yù fā zhǎn
The government vigorously supports educational development.
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Example
我在那栋大厦工作。
wǒ zài nà dòng dà shà gōng zuò
I work in that building.
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Example
这是一个大型购物中心。
zhè shì yí gè dà xíng gòu wù zhōng xīn
This is a large-scale shopping center.
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Example
这里的人大多会说英语。
zhè lǐ de rén dà duō huì shuō yīng yǔ
The people here mostly speak English.
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- 大 elder, senior (indicating seniority or respect)
- 妈 aunt, maternal figure (female elder relative or respectful term)
Example
大妈，请问超市在哪里？
dà mā qǐng wèn chāo shì zài nǎ lǐ
Auntie, excuse me, where is the supermarket?
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Example
大批游客来到了北京。
dà pī yóu kè lái dào le Běi jīng
Large numbers of tourists came to Beijing.
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Example
大爷，您需要帮忙吗？
dà ye nín xū yào bāng máng ma
Sir, do you need help?
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Example
妈妈去超市买大米。
mā ma qù chāo shì mǎi dà mǐ
Mom went to the supermarket to buy rice.
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Example
这是一个大胆的尝试。
zhè shì yí gè dà dǎn de cháng shì
This is a bold attempt.
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- 大 big, major; emphasizes the primary/main brain (cerebrum)
- 脑 brain; the core meaning referring to the brain organ
Example
大脑是人体最重要的器官。
dà nǎo shì rén tǐ zuì zhòng yào de qì guān
The brain is the most important organ of the human body.
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Example
我在动物园看到了大象。
wǒ zài dòng wù yuán kàn dào le dà xiàng
I saw an elephant at the zoo.
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Example
他们面临着巨大的挑战。
tā men miàn lín zhe jù dà de tiǎo zhàn
They face huge challenges.
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Example
这个问题受到广大群众的关注。
zhè ge wèn tí shòu dào guǎng dà qún zhòng de guān zhù
This issue has received attention from the broad public.
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Example
科技是强大的力量。
kē jì shì qiáng dà de lì liàng
Technology is a powerful force.
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Example
公司计划扩大生产规模。
gōng sī jì huà kuò dà shēng chǎn guī mó
The company plans to expand production scale.
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Example
这是一个重大的决定。
zhè shì yí gè zhòng dà de jué dìng
This is a major decision.
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Example
门口站着一个高大的警卫。
mén kǒu zhàn zhe yí gè gāo dà de jǐng wèi
A tall and big guard stood at the entrance.
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- 大 big, great; emphasizes the inclusiveness of the whole group
- 伙 group, company; refers to a collective of people
- 儿 diminutive suffix (erhua); adds a colloquial, friendly tone
Example
大伙儿一起努力吧！
dà huǒr yì qǐ nǔ lì ba
Let's all work hard together!
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Example
他是中国驻美国大使。
tā shì Zhōng guó zhù Měi guó dà shǐ
He is the Chinese ambassador to the United States.
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- 大 big, great (intensifier)
- 吃 to receive, to suffer (idiomatic)
- 一 one (intensifier)
- 惊 surprise, shock
Example
得知真相后，大家都大吃一惊。
dé zhī zhēn xiàng hòu dà jiā dōu dà chī yì jīng
After learning the truth, everyone was greatly shocked.
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Example
春天来了，大地复苏。
chūn tiān lái le dà dì fù sū
Spring has come, the earth awakens.
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- 大 great, grand (emphasizes high level of achievement)
- 师 master, expert (skilled professional or teacher)
Example
他是一位音乐大师。
tā shì yí wèi yīn yuè dà shī
He is a music master.
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Example
房价大幅上涨了。
fáng jià dà fú shàng zhǎng le
Housing prices have risen substantially.
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Example
他很大方，总是请朋友吃饭。
tā hěn dà fang zǒng shì qǐng péng you chī fàn
He is very generous, always treating friends to meals.
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Example
大洋洲是地球上最小的大陆。
Dà yáng zhōu shì dì qiú shàng zuì xiǎo de dà lù
Oceania is the smallest continent on Earth.
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Example
这位大臣深受皇帝信任。
zhè wèi dà chén shēn shòu huáng dì xìn rèn
This minister is deeply trusted by the emperor.
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Example
我大致明白了你的意思。
wǒ dà zhì míng bai le nǐ de yì si
I roughly understand what you mean.
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Example
这里的人大都很友好。
zhè lǐ de rén dà dū hěn yǒu hǎo
The people here are mostly very friendly.
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- 宏 grand, vast, magnificent (emphasizing scope and impressiveness)
- 大 great, large (reinforcing the large scale)
Example
他提出了一个宏大的计划。
tā tí chū le yí gè hóng dà de jì huà
He proposed a grand plan.
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Example
这座城市有一个庞大的人口。
zhè zuò chéng shì yǒu yí gè páng dà de rén kǒu
This city has a huge population.
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Example
你可以放大这张照片看细节。
nǐ kě yǐ fàng dà zhè zhāng zhào piàn kàn xì jié
You can magnify this photo to see the details.
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- 博 extensive, broad, wide-ranging
- 大 great, vast (emphasizing scale)
- 精 refined, essential, profound
- 深 deep, profound (emphasizing depth)
Example
中国文化博大精深，值得我们深入学习。
Zhōng guó wén huà bó dà jīng shēn zhí de wǒ men shēn rù xué xí
Chinese culture is extensive and profound, worthy of our deep study.
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Example
我们要发扬光大中华优秀传统文化。
wǒ men yào fā yáng guāng dà zhōng huá yōu xiù chuán tǒng wén huà
We must carry forward and expand excellent traditional Chinese culture.
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- 哄 uproarious, tumultuous (sound)
- 堂 hall, room (full of people)
- 大 big, loud (intensifier)
- 笑 laugh, laughter
Example
他讲了一个笑话，全场哄堂大笑。
tā jiǎng le yí gè xiào hua quán chǎng hōng táng dà xiào
He told a joke, and the whole room burst into laughter.
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Example
我们的团队正在不断壮大。
wǒ men de tuán duì zhèng zài bù duàn zhuàng dà
Our team is continuously growing.
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Example
大不了我们明天再来。
dà bu liǎo wǒ men míng tiān zài lái
At worst, we'll come back tomorrow.
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Example
他大为惊讶。
tā dà wéi jīng yà
He was greatly surprised.
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Example
这个计划大体可行。
zhè ge jì huà dà tǐ kě xíng
This plan is roughly feasible.
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- 大 great, emphasizing completeness
- 公 public interest, impartial
- 无 without, lacking
- 私 private interest, selfish
Example
这位领导大公无私，深受群众爱戴。
zhè wèi lǐng dǎo dà gōng wú sī shēn shòu qún zhòng ài dài
This leader is selfless and impartial, and is deeply loved and respected by the people.
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- 大 major, large (referring to major similarities)
- 同 same, similar (the similarities/commonalities)
- 小 small, minor (referring to minor differences)
- 异 different, dissimilar (the differences/variations)
Example
这两个方案大同小异，没有本质区别。
zhè liǎng gè fāng àn dà tóng xiǎo yì méi yǒu běn zhì qū bié
These two proposals are largely similar with minor differences; there is no essential distinction.
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- 大 big, great - emphasizes the magnitude of fame
- 名 name, fame - refers to reputation and renown
- 鼎 tripod, cauldron - symbolizes importance and prestige
- 鼎 tripod, cauldron - repetition for emphasis
Example
他是大名鼎鼎的科学家。
tā shì dà míng dǐng dǐng de kē xué jiā
He is a very famous scientist.
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- 大 big, broad (conveying casualness)
- 大 reduplication reinforcing casualness
- 咧 grinning, informal manner (conveying carelessness)
- 咧 reduplication reinforcing carelessness
Example
她是个大大咧咧的人。
tā shì gè dà da liē liē de rén
She is a casual and careless person.
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- 大 large; major (indicates scale or importance)
- 宗 category; kind (refers to a type or classification)
Example
大宗采购可以享受折扣。
dà zōng cǎi gòu kě yǐ xiǎng shòu zhé kòu
Bulk purchases can enjoy discounts.
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- 大 large, comprehensive, overall (indicates scope and scale)
- 局 situation, circumstances, state of affairs
Example
为了大局，我们必须团结一致。
wèi le dà jú wǒ men bì xū tuán jié yī zhì
For the sake of the overall situation, we must unite as one.
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- 大 big, great (emphasizing excessive reaction)
- 惊 alarm, startle (the overblown emotional response)
- 小 small, little (indicating the trivial nature of the cause)
- 怪 strange, odd (the unusual occurrence that shouldn't warrant alarm)
Example
他只是迟到了五分钟，你不要大惊小怪。
tā zhǐ shì chí dào le wǔ fēn zhōng nǐ bú yào dà jīng xiǎo guài
He's only five minutes late, don't make a fuss about it.
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Example
开车不能大意。
kāi chē bù néng dà yì
You can't be careless when driving.
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- 大 big, large-scale, massive (indicating enormous volume)
- 数 number, count (forms 'data' with 据, contributing the numerical/quantitative aspect)
- 据 evidence, basis (completes 'data' with 数, contributing the information/evidence aspect)
Example
大数据分析可以帮助企业做出更好的决策。
dà shù jù fēn xī kě yǐ bāng zhù qǐ yè zuò chū gèng hǎo de jué cè
Big data analysis can help companies make better decisions.
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Example
我相信这个项目大有可为。
wǒ xiāng xìn zhè ge xiàng mù dà yǒu kě wéi
I believe this project has great potential.
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Example
地球的大气保护我们免受太阳辐射。
dì qiú de dà qì bǎo hù wǒ men miǎn shòu tài yáng fú shè
The Earth's atmosphere protects us from solar radiation.
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Example
他最喜欢看好莱坞大片。
tā zuì xǐ huan kàn Hǎo lái wù dà piàn
He loves watching Hollywood blockbusters most.
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Example
老师发给我们课程大纲。
lǎo shī fā gěi wǒ men kè chéng dà gāng
The teacher gave us the course outline.
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Example
敌人大肆破坏城市的基础设施。
dí rén dà sì pò huài chéng shì de jī chǔ shè shī
The enemy wantonly destroyed the city's infrastructure.
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- 大 big, large (referring to main streets)
- 街 street (main thoroughfare)
- 小 small, little (referring to narrow alleys)
- 巷 alley, lane (narrow pathway)
Example
节日期间，大街小巷都挂满了灯笼。
jié rì qī jiān dà jiē xiǎo xiàng dōu guà mǎn le dēng lóng
During the festival, lanterns were hung all over the streets and alleys.
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Example
亚洲是世界上最大的大陆。
Yà zhōu shì shì jiè shàng zuì dà de dà lù
Asia is the largest continent in the world.
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- 大 large, big (emphasizing the size of these wild goose species)
- 雁 wild goose (the main semantic component referring to the bird)
Example
秋天来了，大雁开始南飞。
qiū tiān lái le dà yàn kāi shǐ nán fēi
Autumn has come, and the wild geese are beginning to fly south.
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Example
他总是夸大自己的成就。
tā zǒng shì kuā dà zì jǐ de chéng jiù
He always exaggerates his achievements.
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- 恍 suddenly, in a flash
- 然 manner suffix (indicates the way something happens)
- 大 great, big (intensifies the realization)
- 悟 understand, realize, awaken to
Example
听了他的解释后，我恍然大悟。
tīng le tā de jiě shì hòu wǒ huǎng rán dà wù
After hearing his explanation, I suddenly realized.
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Example
经过协商，我们找到了一个皆大欢喜的办法。
jīng guò xié shāng wǒ men zhǎo dào le yí gè jiē dà huān xǐ de bàn fǎ
After negotiation, we found a solution that made everyone happy.
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Example
他们举行了盛大的欢迎仪式。
tā men jǔ xíng le shèng dà de huān yíng yí shì
They held a grand welcoming ceremony.
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- 粗 rough, crude (lacking refinement or care)
- 心 heart, mind (mental attention)
- 大 big, great (emphasizing the degree)
- 意 intention, thought (attention, care)
Example
他因为粗心大意，考试时忘记写名字了。
tā yīn wèi cū xīn dà yì kǎo shì shí wàng jì xiě míng zi le
He forgot to write his name during the exam because he was careless.
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Example
这对我来说是莫大的荣幸。
zhè duì wǒ lái shuō shì mò dà de róng xìng
This is a great honor for me.
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- 顾 consider, take into account
- 全 completely, entirely, whole
- 大 big, great, overall
- 局 situation, overall picture
Example
我们应该顾全大局，不要只想自己的利益。
wǒ men yīng gāi gù quán dà jú bú yào zhǐ xiǎng zì jǐ de lì yì
We should consider the overall situation and not just think about our own interests.
Structure & writing
老 is a component in 2 characters
consists of
耂 is a component in 4 characters
匕 is a component in 11 characters
Stroke order
大 is a component in 34 characters
Show more HSK 4 characters (+1)
Show more HSK 6 characters (+1)
大 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.
Stroke order