Chinese word

大胆

Pronunciation

Pinyindà dǎn

Meaning

  • adjectivebold

Example

别太大胆，注意安全。bié tài dà dǎn zhù yì ān quán

Don't be too bold; be careful.

Illustration for 大胆 (bold)

More examples

他提出了一个大胆的想法。tā tí chū le yí gè dà dǎn de xiáng fǎ

He proposed a bold idea.

Core concept

The courage to cross a boundary and take an unusual or risky step instead of staying cautious.

Common phrases

  • 大胆尝试dà dǎn cháng shì

    try boldly

  • 大胆的想法dà dǎn de xiáng fǎ

    bold idea

  • 大胆的决定dà dǎn de jué dìng

    bold decision

Similar words

勇敢yóng gǎn: Bravely facing danger or difficulty instead of being afraid.
果断guǒ duàn: Making decisions and acting promptly without hesitation.
无畏wú wèi: Moving forward without fear or anxiety in the face of difficulty.
鲁莽lú mǎng: Acting rashly without thinking carefully, making danger or failure more likely.

Definition in Chinese

不畏风险或批评，敢于采取大胆行动或提出不同意见的性格或行为。bú wèi fēng xiǎn huò pī píng gǎn yú cái qǔ dà dǎn xíng dòng huò tí chū bù tóng yì jiàn de xìng gé huò xíng wéi

Word origin

In 大胆 (dàdǎn, "bold"), 大 (dà, "big") intensifies 胆 (dǎn, "gallbladder; courage"), whose figurative meaning is courage, so the compound presents bold action as having a great deal of nerve.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often hear bold as strongly positive, but this Chinese adjective can also mark a decision as unacceptably daring when the surrounding tone is critical.

Opposites

Related words

  • 大胆性dà dǎn xìngboldnessnoun

Word lists with this word