大おおざっぱ

お

ざ

っ

ぱ

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Describes something not detailed or precise, such as an estimate, summary, or outline. Often neutral or slightly informal.

大おおざっぱな見み積つもりですが、費ひ用ようは10じゅう万まん円えんくらいです。
It's a rough estimate, but the cost is about 100,000 yen.
彼かれは大おおざっぱに計けい画かくを説せつ明めいした。
He explained the plan in broad terms.

na-adjective

careless; sloppy; crude

Used for work or behavior that lacks attention to detail, often with a negative connotation.

彼かれの仕し事ごとは大おおざっぱで、ミスが多おおい。
His work is sloppy and full of mistakes.
大おおざっぱな性せい格かくだから、細こまかい作さ業ぎょうは苦にが手てだ。
I have a careless personality, so I'm not good at detailed tasks.

See all 22 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

大おおざっぱに〈動どう詞し〉to do something roughly or without much care
部屋へやを大おおざっぱに掃そう除じした。
I cleaned the room in a rough, quick way.
大おおざっぱに言いうとroughly speaking; to put it broadly
大おおざっぱに言いうと、費ひ用ようは十じゅう万まん円えんくらいだ。
Roughly speaking, the cost is about 100,000 yen.
大おおざっぱな〈事こと〉a rough or general (estimate, plan, etc.)
大おおざっぱな計けい算さんだが、参さん加か者しゃは百ひゃく人にんくらいになりそうだ。
It's a rough calculation, but there will probably be about 100 participants.
大おおざっぱな性せい格かくa careless, easygoing personality that doesn't sweat details
彼かれは大おおざっぱな性せい格かくで、細こまかいことを気きにしない。
He has a careless personality and doesn't worry about small details.

Kanji

大large, big
雑miscellaneous
把grasp, faggot, bunch

Related words

大おおまかN2sense 1
大まか is a neutral term for broad or general descriptions, while 大ざっぱ can carry a casual or mildly negative nuance of carelessness.
ずさんN1sense 2
ずさん describes work that is seriously careless or shoddy, whereas 大ざっぱ is a milder, more everyday way to say something lacks detail.
雑ざつN1
大雑把 describes a broad, rough-and-ready approach that ignores fine detail, while 雑 more directly criticizes the sloppiness or low quality of the result.
アバウト
大雑把 is a native Japanese word meaning rough or careless and works in formal writing, while アバウト is a casual loanword with the same rough/imprecise nuance.
粗あらいN2
大雑把 describes something rough or approximate in scope or planning, while 粗い is used more for physical texture or granularity.

Opposites

細こまかいN4sense 1
細かい means detailed or meticulous, the opposite of 大ざっぱ's rough, imprecise quality.
克こく明めいN1
大雑把 describes something rough, sloppy, or lacking in detail, the opposite of the meticulous faithfulness expressed by 克明.
几き帳ちょう面めんN1
大雑把 means rough or careless about details, contrasting with the fine, meticulous attention to detail implied by 几帳面.

Don't confuse with

粗あらいN2sense 1
粗い describes something physically coarse or rough in texture, while 大ざっぱ describes a lack of precision or care in abstract matters like work or plans.
大おおげさN2
大雑把 means 'rough/careless' (as in imprecise work), while 大げさ means 'exaggerated'; learners sometimes confuse the two because both are na-adjectives starting with 大.

Written forms

大おおざっぱUsage41%
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form.
大おお雑ざっ把ぱUsage46%
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing. The kana form is strongly preferred.
おおざっぱUsage13%

Etymology

The word is a combination of 大 (large) and ざっぱ, which is likely a sound-symbolic element related to roughness or coarseness. The kanji 雑把 is ateji and not etymologically significant.