大おおづかみ

お

づ

か

み

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

rough; broad; general

Describes an explanation, summary, or understanding that covers the main points without going into detail. Often used as 大づかみに (adverbially).

彼かれは事じ件けんの概がい要ようを大おおづかみに説せつ明めいした。
He gave a rough explanation of the outline of the incident.

大おおづかみな話はなしで申もうし訳わけないですが、要よう点てんは以い上じょうです。

I'm sorry for the rough account, but those are the main points.

2

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

grabbing a big handful

Literal meaning of taking a large amount in one's hand. Less common than the figurative sense, but still used in contexts like grabbing snacks or coins.

子こどもがお菓か子しを大おおづかみにして走はしっていった。
The child grabbed a big handful of snacks and ran off.

Written forms

大おおづかみUsage89%
Common spelling using づ for the rendaku form.
大おお掴づかみUsage5%
Kanji spelling with 掴; less common but still seen.
おおづかみUsage5%

Kanji

大large, big
掴catch, seize, grasp

Similar words

大おおまか
Also means 'rough' or 'approximate', but 大まか is more common and neutral for describing something as not detailed. 大づかみ often implies a deliberate summary or a broad-brush approach.
ざっくり
A casual adverb meaning 'roughly' or 'approximately'. ざっくり is more colloquial and often used for estimates, while 大づかみ can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Etymology

Compound of 大 (ō, 'big') + 掴み (tsukami, 'grasp'), with rendaku voicing. The figurative sense developed from the image of grasping something in large handfuls rather than picking up piece by piece.