Japanese Conversation · Level 111
60 words
Japanese word
大手
Pronunciation
Romajiōte
Meaning
- nounmajor company
Example
姉は大手で働いています。ane wa ō te de hatara i te i ma su
My older sister works for a major company.
More examples
就職先として大手を選ぶ人もいます。shū shoku saki to shi te ō te o era bu hito mo i ma su
Some people choose a major company to work for.
Core concept
大手 (ōte) presents a company as large and established enough to occupy a leading place in its industry.
Common phrases
大手企業ō te ki gyō
major company
大手で働くō te de hatara ku
work for a major company
大手に就職するō te ni shū shoku su ru
get a job at a major company
Similar words
大企業daikigyō: A company with a large scale of business, employees, or capital.
Definition in Japanese
資本や事業規模が大きく、業界で有力な会社。shi hon ya ji gyō ki bo ga ō ki ku gyō kai de yū ryoku na gai sha
Word origin
大手 (ōte) combines 大 (ō, "large") and 手 (te, "hand"); it first referred to a castle's main gate and later developed a business sense for a leading company.
Usage tips
- In everyday Japanese, 大手 (ōte) can stand alone as a noun, while English usually requires a phrase such as "a major company" or "a leading firm."
Opposites
- 中小chūshōsmall-to-medium businessnoun