Chinese word

大人

Pronunciation

Pinyindà rén

Meaning

  • nounadult

Example

他已经是大人了。tā yǐ jīng shì dà rén le

He is already an adult.

Illustration for 大人 (adult)

More examples

孩子们和大人一起吃饭。hái zi men hé dà rén yì qǐ chī fàn

Children eat with adults.

Core concept

A grown person who has the independence and responsibilities expected after childhood.

Common phrases

  • 是大人shì dà rén

    be an adult

  • 和大人一起hé dà rén yì qǐ

    together with an adult

Similar words

成人chéng rén: A person who has attained adult status through age or accepted social conditions.
成年人chéng nián rén: An adult who has reached the required legal age.

Definition in Chinese

指不再属于儿童、在社会上被视为可以独立承担义务和责任的个体。zhǐ bú zài shǔ yú ér tóng zài shè huì shàng bèi shì wéi ké yǐ dú lì chéng dān yì wù hé zé rèn de gè tǐ

Word origin

大 (dà, "big") + 人 (rén, "person") forms the image of a person who has grown beyond childhood, with 大 referring to maturity rather than body size.

Usage tips

  • This word is not normally used alone as a polite form of address for a stranger, even though it refers to a grown person in ordinary descriptions.

Opposites

Word lists with this word