Japanese word

大河

Pronunciation

Romajitaiga

Meaning

  • nounlarge river

Example

この大河は町の近くを流れています。ko no tai ga wa machi no chika ku o naga re te i ma su

This large river flows near the town.

Illustration for 大河 (large river)

More examples

雨季には、村人たちは大河を船で渡ります。u ki ni wa mura bito ta chi wa tai ga o fune de wata ri ma su

During the rainy season, the villagers cross the great river by boat.

Core concept

It presents a river whose great scale makes it a major feature of the surrounding land.

Common phrases

  • 大河を渡るtai ga o wata ru

    cross a great river

  • 大河に注ぐtai ga ni soso gu

    flow into a great river

  • 大河の流域tai ga no ryū iki

    basin of a great river

Similar words

大川ōkawa: A large river, often described in literary or formal language.
大河川daikasen: A large river treated as a distinct geographical feature in formal or technical language.

Definition in Japanese

流れの規模が大きい川。naga re no ki bo ga ō ki i kawa

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 大河 (taiga, "large river") joins 大 (tai, "large") with 河 (ka, "river"), which is voiced as ga in this compound.

Usage tips

  • Japanese 大河 (taiga) is unrelated to English taiga, the borrowed name for the boreal forest, despite their identical romanization.

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