大おおきな

お

き

な

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

1

pre-noun adjectival

big; large; great

Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) meaning 'big' or 'large'. Used only before nouns; cannot be used as a predicate. Compare with 大きい (predicative adjective).

Usage patterns

大おおきな声こえで〈動どう詞し〉to do something in a loud voice
大おおきな声こえで名な前まえを呼よんだ。
I called out the name in a loud voice.
大おおきな夢ゆめを持もつto have big dreams
彼かれは将しょう来らいに大おおきな夢ゆめを持もっている。
He has big dreams for the future.
〈事こと〉に大おおきな影えい響きょうを与あたえるto have a major impact on something
その事じ件けんは社しゃ会かいに大おおきな影えい響きょうを与あたえた。
The incident had a major impact on society.
大おおきな問もん題だいになるto become a big problem
このミスは大おおきな問もん題だいになるかもしれない。
This mistake could become a big problem.

Expressions

大おおきな政せい府ふbig government
大おおきなお世せ話わnone of your business; mind your own business; keep out of it
大おおきな顔かおをするact important; swagger; put on airs
山やまより大おおきな猪いのししは出でぬthings cannot be larger than the things that contain them

Kanji

大large, big

Related words

大おおきいN5
大きい is an ordinary i-adjective that can be used both before a noun and as a predicate (犬が大きい), while 大きな is a pre-noun form used only before a noun and often carries a more subjective, emotive feel.
大おおいなる
大きな is the common pre-noun form for 'big' used in everyday speech and writing, while 大いなる is a literary, elevated form reserved for formal or poetic contexts.

Opposites

小ちいさなN5
大きな means 'big' and 小さな means 'small'; both are pre-noun adjectivals with the same grammatical restriction of appearing only before a noun.

Don't confuse with

大おおきいN5
大きな can only be used before a noun (大きな家), while 大きい can also stand alone as a predicate (家が大きい).

Written forms

大おおきなUsage99%
Standard pre-noun adjectival form; always followed by a noun.
おおきなUsage1%

Etymology

Derived from the classical attributive form of the adjective 大きし (おおきし). The modern form 大きな is a fossilized remnant of this attributive usage, now functioning as a rentaishi.