大 (dà) — big / large
HSK 1 | adjective | big, large, great
大 (dà)
An adjective meaning "big," "large," or "great" in size, age, or degree. It is one of the first adjectives learners encounter and appears in countless compounds. Its antonym is 小 (xiǎo), meaning "small."
Meanings
- [adjective] Big, large (in size or scale).
- [adjective] Old, grown (used for age, especially of people).
Example Sentences
这是一个大城市。 Zhè shì yīgè dà chéngshì. This is a big city.
我的包很大。 Wǒ de bāo hěn dà. My bag is very large.
他比我大两岁。 Tā bǐ wǒ dà liǎng suì. He is two years older than me.
大家好！ Dàjiā hǎo! Hello everyone! (lit. big family hello)
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 大学 | university (big learning) |
| 大家 | everyone |
| 大人 | adult |
| 大声 | loud (big sound) |
| 大门 | main gate, front door |
| 最大 | the biggest, the largest |
Memory Hook
Antonym of 小 (xiǎo, small). The character 大 shows a person (人) with arms spread wide — stretching out to show something BIG.