adj.
A person with arms and legs spread wide, taking up the largest possible space. Big, large, great, major; adult or eldest; very or highly in degree.
大
Expanding scale: physical size, weather intensity, age, or institutional level.
Look at the character 大: a human stretching both arms wide open to say 'THIS BIG!'. In Chinese, it describes physical scale (大飞机, big airplane), weather intensity (下大雨, heavy rain), and seniority or age (多大, how old).
Common Usage & Traps
- 很大 — very big
- 大学 — university, college
- 大飞机 — large airplane
- 下大雨 — rain heavily (literally: fall big rain)
- 多大 — how old / how big
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下重雨下大雨Chinese describes heavy rain and strong wind with 大 (big scale), never 重 (heavy weight).
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强风大风Everyday weather uses 大: 大风 (big wind), 大雪 (heavy snow).
Why does 你多大 mean 'How old are you?' instead of 'How big are you?'
In Chinese, aging is seen as growing larger in years. 多大 literally asks 'To what degree are you big?'.
When asking about someone's age in casual conversation, native speakers say 你多大? (or 你多大了?). It is not asking about your body weight or height; it is asking how grown-up you are. To ask about the physical size of an object, Chinese speakers specify the noun: 这个箱子有多大? (How big is this suitcase?).
| Target Question | Natural Chinese | Appropriate Context |
|---|---|---|
| Asking someone's age (peer) | 你多大？ / 你多大了？ | Casual everyday conversation with peers |
| Asking a child's age | 你几岁？ | Young children (under 10) |
| Asking physical size of a thing | 这个东西有多大？ | Suitcase, screen, room, or airplane |
Why is heavy rain '大雨' and never '重雨' in Chinese?
Chinese measures weather by visual scale (大/小), not physical weight (重/轻).
In English, we say 'heavy rain' and 'hard wind'. But Chinese sees weather through a camera lens of scale and coverage: heavy rain is 'big rain' (大雨), a light drizzle is 'small rain' (小雨), and a gale is 'big wind' (大风). Saying 重雨 is an English direct-translation mistake that sounds completely alien.
| Weather Condition | Natural Chinese | English-Minded Error |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy rain | 下大雨 / 雨很大 | 下重雨 / 雨很重 |
| Light rain | 下小雨 / 雨很小 | 下轻雨 |
| Strong wind | 刮大风 / 风很大 | 强壮的风 |
Why are universities called 大学 ('Big School')?
Chinese views education stages as stepping stones from 'Small Study' (小学) to 'Big Study' (大学).
Instead of Latin-based terms like 'Elementary' and 'University', Chinese builds the school hierarchy using 大 and 小: 1. 小学 = Elementary School (small/beginning study). 2. 中学 = Middle/High School (intermediate study). 3. 大学 = University (great/adult study). Knowing this pattern lets you understand an entire school family with zero extra vocabulary.
| Stage | Chinese Name | Student Term |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School | 小学 | 小学生 (Young pupil) |
| Middle / High School | 中学 | 中学生 (Teen student) |
| University / College | 大学 | 大学生 (College student) |
Appears in Stories 8 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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我看见超市有 大 苹果，也有小苹果。
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大 苹果很便宜，小苹果很贵。
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
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他也有一个 大 杯子，是一个茶杯。
In this warm dialogue, a parent introduces their family at a restaurant. A teacher gently corrects common mistakes about family words and names, making it perfect for HSK 2 learners.
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那是我的 大 儿子，他的姓名是“小明”。
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B：你只有一个儿子，所以不要说“ 大 儿子”，也不要说“小女儿”，就说“女儿”就好。
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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休息两星期，七天住医院医生人很好，房间 大 漂亮。
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
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今天，面条里有两个 大 鸡蛋。
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今天雨太 大 ，我想你还没吃晚饭，我在这儿看你来不来。”
Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.
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信中说：“你提出的问题太 大 ，我不能给你一个可以使我自己认为满意的解释。
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
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我们坐的飞机很大，是五百人的 大 飞机。
This playful reading contrasts small universities and big primary schools. You will practice basic words for school levels and sizes while enjoying a simple rhythmic verse.
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有的大学 大 ，有的大学小。
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有的小学小，有的小学 大 。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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