太
plump, thick, big around
Readings
On'yomi
- タイ
- タ
Kun'yomi
- ふと.い
- ふと.る
Nanori
- おお
- たか
- ひろ
Meaning
太 centers on largeness of girth or thickness: something plump, thick, or big around. It describes physical bulk rather than general size.
Most common words using 太
21 of 393- 太陽たいようN4
Sun
- 太るふとるN4
to put on weight; to gain weight; to grow fat; to get stout
- 太いふといN5
fat; thick
- 太平洋たいへいよう
Pacific Ocean
- 太鼓たいこN2
drum
- 太ももふともも
thigh
- 皇太子こうたいし
crown prince
- 太刀たち
long sword (as opposed to the shorter katana)
- 太平洋戦争たいへいようせんそう
Pacific War (1941-1945)
- 太陽系たいようけい
solar system
- 丸太まるた
log
- 太古たいこ
ancient times; prehistoric times
- 太子たいし
crown prince
- 太字ふとじ
boldface; bold-type; thick characters
- 太っ腹ふとっぱら
generous; magnanimous; big-hearted; broad-minded; big-bellied
- 皇太后こうたいごう
Empress Dowager; Queen Mother
- 義太夫ぎだゆう
gidayū (type of reciting used in the puppet theater)
- 太陽電池たいようでんちN1
solar cell
- 太り肉ふとりじし
corpulent; fat; chubby
- 皇太子妃こうたいしひ
crown princess
- プー太郎プーたろう
unemployed person; vagabond; floater; vagrant
Study
Etymology
太 is derived from 大 (big) with an added dot to emphasize thickness or plumpness. The dot likely served as a distinguishing mark to differentiate it from 大.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a large person 大 with a big belly, and the dot inside is the belly button. That extra dot makes the person plump and thick.
Reading mnemonic
For タイ, imagine a thick tie wrapped around a plump waist: tie -> タイ, and the tie emphasizes the thickness.