Japanese Conversation · Level 15
90 words
Japanese word
大きい
Pronunciation
Romajiōkii
Meaning
- i-adjectivebig
Example
この箱は大きいです。ko no bako wa ō ki i de su
This box is big.
More examples
ぞうはとても大きいです。zō wa to te mo ō ki i de su
An elephant is very big.
この箱は子どもが持つには大きいです。ko no bako wa ko do mo ga mo tsu ni wa ō ki i de su
This box is too big for a child to carry.
Core concept
Describes something that exceeds the usual scale and can therefore seem important or powerful.
Common phrases
大きい声ō ki i koe
loud voice
大きい音ō ki i oto
loud sound
大きい問題ō ki i mon dai
big problem
Similar words
でかいdekai: A casual word for something that is large in size or scale.
Definition in Japanese
物の寸法・数量・規模などが多く、標準より目立つさま。また、程度や影響が著しいさま。mono no sun pō sū ryō ki bo na do ga ō ku hyō jun yo ri me da tsu sa ma ma ta tei do ya ei kyō ga ichijiru shi i sa ma
Word origin
大きい (ōkii) is a native Japanese word descended from the older adjective stem 大き (ōki), meaning "large"; its modern form ends in い (i).
Usage tips
- The polite form 大きいです (ōkii desu) keeps the final い (i), so the adjective does not change to 大きです (ōki desu).