Word for big in japanese

learning how to say “big” and “small” in Japanese is essential for everyday communication. These adjectives are widely used in different contexts, from describing sizes and dimensions to expressing emotions and feelings. In this article, we’ll explore how to say «big» and «small» in Japanese, as well as some important nuances of these words in the language.

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[大] Big in Japanese

The kanji “大” (dai/ooki) represents the idea of size, volume and importance. Its original form comes from the ancient Chinese character “大”, which represented a man with open arms, symbolizing the idea of greatness and breadth.

It is common to use the kanji with its pronunciation “dai” accompanied by another word to say “bigger, big or much”. For example, “Daisuki” [大好き] means I like it very much, I love it very much.

How to say Big in Japanese?

The Japanese word for “big” is “大きい” (ookii). The first character “大” means “big” or “greatness”, and the second character “きい” is a suffix that indicates the adjectival form of the term.

This word originates from the ancient Japanese language and has been passed down through time as a common term to express the size or magnitude of something.

The word “大きい” is used to describe objects, animals, and people of large size or general grandeur.

Words related to big in Japanese

Here are some words that can be used as synonyms for “big” in Japanese:

• 大規模 (daikibo) – large scale
• 巨大 (kyodai) – huge
• 大量 (tairyō) – large amount
• 大統領 (daitōryō) – president (literally, “great leader”)
• 雄大 (yūdai) – majestic
• 豪華 (gouka) – luxurious
• 壮大 (sōdai) – great
• 大胆 (daitan) – audacious
• 重要 (juuyou) – important
• 極大 (kyokudai) – extremely large.

[小] Small in Japanese

kanji “小” (shou/chiisai) represents the idea of small size, inferiority or inferiority compared to something bigger. Its original form is derived from the ancient Chinese character “小”, which represented a small child.

How to say small in Japanese?

The word “小さい” (chiisai) is derived from the kanji “小” (shou), which means small, and “さい” (sai), which is a suffix that indicates the property or condition of something. This is the main way of saying something is small.

“小さい” is a word used to describe objects, animals and people of small size or smallness in general. The origin of this word is uncertain, but it may have originated from an ancient Japanese word meaning «thin» or «small».

Words related to small in Japanese

• 小さい (chiisai) – small
• 小型 (shōgata) – small size
• 小規模 (shōkibo) – small scale
• 小包 (kobukuro) – small pack
• 小指 (koyubi) – little finger (literally, “little finger”)
• 小鳥 (kotori) – little bird (literally, “little bird”)
• 細かい (komakai) – tiny, small and detailed
• 軽微 (keibi) – light, small in terms of gravity
• 切実 (setsujitsu) – intense but small in scale
• 小休止 (shōkyūshi) – short break, short rest.

Other ways to say Small or Big in Japanese

大きな (ookina) – this is an alternative way of saying “big” that further emphasizes the size or importance of something. For example, “大きな手紙” (ookina tegami) means “a big letter”.

小さめ (chiisame) – this is a way of saying “small”, which further emphasizes the smallness of something. For example, “小さめのカバン” (chiisame no kaban) means “a small bag”.

小型 (shougata) – this word is used to describe smaller or reduced size objects or devices. For example, “小型カメラ” (shou-gata kamera) means “small size camera”.

ミニ (mini) – this is an English loanword, which is used to describe something miniature or small in size. For example, “ミニチュア” (miniachua) means “miniature”.

マイクロ (maikuro) – this is another English loanword, which is used to describe something of extremely small size. For example, “マイクロチップ” (maikurochippu) means “microchip”.

Medium and other sizes in Japanese

In addition to the words «big» and «small», there are several other terms in Japanese that can be used to describe sizes and dimensions of objects, animals, people and other things. Here are some examples:

• 長い (nagai) – long
• 短い (mijikai) – short
• 広い (hiroi) – wide
• 狭い (semai) – narrow
• 太い (futoi) – thick
• 細い (hosoi) – thin
• 深い (fukai) – deep
• 浅い (asai) – shallow
• 大きめ (ookime) – big size (augmentative form)
• 小さめ (chiisame) – small size (diminutive form)
• 大型 (oogata) – big size
• 小型 (shougata) – small size
• 中型 (chuugata) – medium size
• ラージ (raaji) – big, borrowed from English “large”
• スモール (sumooru) – small, borrowed from the English “small”
• ミディアム (midiamu) – medium, borrowed from the English “medium”
• ジャンボ (janbo) – giant, borrowed from English “jumbo”
• コンパクト (konpakuto) – compact, borrowed from the English “compact”

How to tell if a person is short or tall?

To describe whether a person is tall or short in Japanese, you can use the following words:

1. 高い (takai) – high
2. 低い (hikui) – low

These words can be used to describe a person’s physical height. For example, “彼女はとても背が高い” (Kanojo wa totemo se ga takai) means “she is very tall”, while “彼は背が低い” (Kare wa se ga hikui) means “he is short”. .

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In Japanese, just like in English – there are Japanese adjectives you can use to talk about how big or small something is.  These words are useful for situations where you are ordering food, drinks, or household items like furniture.

Below we have included a list of vocabulary words and several infographics that will teach you the words you need to describe size, length, width and more in Japanese.

【How to describe size, length, and width in Japanese】

大きい :  おおきい  ookii  Big

小さい : ちいさい  chiisai  Small

長い : ながい  nagai  Long (length)

短い : みじかい  mijikai  Short (length)

太い :  ふとい  futoi  Thick

細い : ほそい  hosoi  Thin

【Words for meal sizes in Japanese】

Small – 小 (shou), ミニ (mini), 半分 (hanbun), 少なめ(sukuname), S (エス)

Normal – 並 (nami), 普通 (futsuu), 中(chuu), M (エム)

Big – 大 (dai), 大盛り (oomori), 多め (oome), L (エル)

Extra Big – 特盛 (tokumori), 特大 (tokudai)

Extremely Big – バカ盛り (baka mori), メガ盛り (mega mori), 鬼盛 (oni mori), 激盛り (geki mori)

【Words for drink sizes in Japanese】

S – 小 (shō), S (esu), ショート(shōto), スモール (sumōru)

M – 中 (chū), M (emu), レギュラー(Regyurā), ミディアム (Midiamu), トール (tōru)

L – 大 (dai), L (eru), ラージ(raaji), グランデ (gurande)

XL– メガ(mega)、ベンティ(benti)

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