大人
大grown or big人person=adult
大
大 (dà) Chinese Character: big, large
A person spreading arms wide — "it's THIS big!"
Practice 大 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Outstretched Arms
How do you show "big" without words? You spread your arms as wide as they go and say "THIS big!" That's exactly what the ancient Chinese did. The character 大 (dà) is a person — the same 人 we already know — but with arms stretched out to their fullest. The horizontal stroke is those outstretched arms, saying "look at this, it's huge!" It's the universal gesture for "big" that every child around the world instinctively makes. The Chinese just turned it into a character that's lasted 3,000 years.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
大学
大higher or advanced学study=university
大学 is an established institution word, not simply “big study.”
Chinese character origin and etymology
大 is documented as a basic character form. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 大 is written with 3 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 大 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
大 is written with 3 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 大 — big — a person with arms spread wide
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 大 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
这个苹果很大。
This apple is very big.
我家有一个大院子。
My house has a big yard.
这是一项重大决定。
This is a major decision.
Learning tips for 大
Learn the reading as one unit: dà, with the fourth tone: a sharp fall. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “big, large,” and write the 3 strokes from memory.
Because 大 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 天 (tiān, sky — big (大) person above (一)); 太 (tài, too much — big (大) with an extra mark); 夫 (fū, husband — a big (大) person). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 大 without pinyin?
- Can you say dà with the correct tone and explain “big, large”?
- Can you write all 3 strokes in order?
- Can you use 大 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.