Japanese Conversation · Level 41
90 words
Japanese word
大半
Pronunciation
Romajitaihan
Meaning
- nounmost
Example
大半の学生は電車で来ます。tai han no gaku sei wa den sha de ki ma su
Most students come by train.
More examples
参加者の大半は、予定どおりに到着しました。san ka sha no tai han wa yo tei dō ri ni tō chaku shi ma shi ta
Most of the participants arrived as planned.
Core concept
Describes the greater part of something while leaving open the possibility that a smaller part is excluded.
Common phrases
大半の人tai han no hito
most people
大半を占めるtai han o shi me ru
make up most
Similar words
ほとんどhotondo: Nearly all of a whole or group, with only a small part left out.
大部分daibubun: The greater part of a whole or group, with a smaller part possibly left out.
大多数daitasū: The greater number of people or things in a group.
過半数kahansū: More than half of a number or group.
Definition in Japanese
全体を二分したとき、半分を超える大きいほうの部分。zen tai o ni bun shi ta to ki han bun o ko e ru ō ki i hō no bu bun
Word origin
The word 大半 (taihan) comes from the Sino-Japanese elements 大 (tai, "large") and 半 (han, "half"), which together indicate the larger part of a whole.
Usage tips
- 大半 (taihan) is especially common in news reports and formal explanations, where it gives a neutral tone to statements about a large portion of a group.
Other meanings
- majoritynoun
- more than halfnoun
Opposites
- 少数shōsūminoritynoun