大
Character learning workspace

dà / dài · big

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 2.0 · Level 1HSK 3.0 · Level 1Frequency #12
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 大

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

大 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

dà

big; large; great; older (than another person)

大家dà jiā · everyone
dài

see 大夫[dai4 fu5]

大夫dài fu · doctor
Step-by-step explorer

See how 大 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

3Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Single bodyCharacter structure

Keep the whole form centered inside the writing square.

大Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 大 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 大

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

dàbig; large; great; older (than another person)
dàisee 大夫[dai4 fu5]
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 大 sits in each complete thought.

Dà jiā dōu shì zhè yàng xiǎng de.大家都是这样想的。

Everyone thinks like this.

Source: Tatoeba #2346771 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè dà gài zhèng shì wǒ yào zuò de.这大概正是我要做的。

Maybe that's what I'll do.

Source: Tatoeba #6452014 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ bú shì jiā ná dà rén, shì ma?你不是加拿大人,是吗?

You're not Canadian, are you?

Source: Tatoeba #6744707 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Dà jiā dōu xiǎng jiàn dào nǐ, nǐ tài yǒu míng le!大家都想见到你,你太有名了!

Everyone wants to meet you. You're famous!

Source: Tatoeba #334921 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Chú le yì rén, dà jiā dōu huí jiā le.除了一人,大家都回家了。

Except for one person, everybody went home.

Source: Tatoeba #880292 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ xiàn zài shì dà rén le.你现在是大人了。

You are now an adult.

Source: Tatoeba #471372 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 大 in context

  1. Say dà / dài, then recall the core meaning: big.
  2. Write all 3 strokes while keeping the single body balanced.
  3. Use it in 大家 (dà jiā), meaning “everyone”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 大 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.