大

contributes the sense of large size or greatness · Kangxi radical 37

contributes the sense of large size or greatness, and in many characters simply pictures a person standing with arms spread

The original graph shows a person seen from the front, standing with legs apart and both arms stretched out wide — the widest a body can look — and from that stance came the idea of "big." The modern shape keeps the picture: the top stroke is the outspread arms, and the two legs run down and out from the crossing point, with the head left off. Many characters use it just as a human body rather than for size: 夭 bends that body's head to one side, 央 sets it inside a frame, and 奇 and 奉 build on a person's posture. Note that in some modern simplified forms — 类, 达, 参 — the 大 is a shorthand replacement for a more complicated old element and carries no meaning of its own.

大 at a glance

Meaning

contributes the sense of large size or greatness

Strokes

3

Characters

63

Role

Contributes meaning

Kangxi radical

37

Characters with 大 (51 of 63)

Frequently asked questions