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Words Kanji Guides About

たいそう Japanese meaning | Kotomora

たいそう

た

い

そ

う

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb

very; extremely; greatly

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial intensifier, similar to とても or 非常に but often somewhat formal, literary, or old-fashioned in everyday speech.

祖そ母ぼはその知しらせを聞きいて、たいそう喜よろこんだ。
My grandmother was very pleased to hear the news.

2

na-adjective

considerable; excessive; large in amount or number

usually written using kana alone

Na-adjective use for a quantity, amount, degree, or scale that is large, considerable, or sometimes more than expected.

それはたいそうな金きん額がくですね。
That is a considerable amount of money.

3

na-adjective

splendid; impressive; tremendous

usually written using kana alone

Positive or admiring na-adjective use for something grand, impressive, or splendid in scale or appearance.

たいそうなごちそうを用よう意いしてくれた。
They prepared a splendid feast for us.

4

na-adjective

exaggerated; overblown; grandiose

usually written using kana alone

Used when something is made to sound grander, more serious, or more important than it really is; common in phrases such as たいそうなこと.

そんなたいそうな話はなしではありません。
It is not such a big, exaggerated matter.

Written forms

たいそうUsage62%
All senses are usually written in kana; this is the safest everyday spelling.
大たい層そうUsage32%
Attested kanji spelling. It may appear in more formal or dictionary-like writing, but kana is generally preferred.
大たいそうUsage5%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less useful for learners than たいそう or 大層.

Kanji

大large, big
層stratum, social class, layer

Similar words

とても
A much more common everyday adverb meaning “very”; たいそう sounds more formal or old-fashioned.
非ひ常じょうに
A formal adverb meaning “extremely”; it overlaps with the adverbial sense of たいそう but lacks the na-adjective meanings such as “splendid” or “exaggerated.”
大おおげさ
The usual modern word for “exaggerated” or “overblown”; たいそう can carry this nuance in phrases like たいそうなこと, but 大げさ is more direct.

Etymology

The kanji spelling 大層 combines 大, associated with largeness, and 層, associated with layers or levels; here it conventionally represents a great degree or scale. The word is usually written in kana.