The Japanese Radical: 大


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Meaning
big    大

Explanation A person 人 with wide spread arms 一 and legs appears big.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 4Joyo 1
dog
inu, KEN
Left: big 大 (Person with legs wide apart and arms outstretched), right: a small dog 丶
The big person is holding his dog.  
JLPT 5Joyo 1
big, large
ōkii, TAI, DAI

A person 人 with arms 一 spread out widely, appears: big.  
JLPT 5Joyo 1
heaven, sky, paradise
ame, ama-, TEN
A big 大 person with the sky 一 above him
As wide as the spread arms of the big 大 person is: the sky.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
thick, fat
futoi, TAI, TA
Top: big 大, below: a little bit more 丶
When you are big, a little 'more' makes you thick and fat.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
bridge
hashi, KYŌ
Left: tree 木, right: accent ノ for emphasis, big 大 and a variation of high 高 (two-storied building)
The tree is remarkably big and high. We use it as a bridge.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
beauty, fine
utsukushii, BI
Top: sheep 羊 (The horned 丷 animal with a backbone 丨 is laterally protruding due to thick wool 三), below: big 大
A sheep of this big size is beautiful!  
JLPT 4Joyo 4
excellent, England, excel
EI
Top: plant 艹, below: center 央 (The yoke 冂 on the shoulders of the big 大 man is centered.)
The plant in the center is excellent, as England.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
middle, center, capital
Ō
Top: yoke 冂, below: big 大
The yoke on the shoulders of the big person is centered.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
container, vessel, pot, skill
utsuwa, KI
Four mouths 口, big 大
For four mouths you need a big pot / container.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
participate, attend, go, come, visit
mairu, SAN
From top: Nose ム, big 大, hairy 彡 (Originally this was the image of a woman 女 = くノ一 with long hair 彡 (possibly with hairpins 八 ?), with the meaning: beautiful)
Where the simplified woman ム with the 'big' hair is, I would like to participate.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
to lose, disappear
ushinau, SHITSU
Upper left: accent ノ for emphasis, rest: husband 夫 (= big 大 person with extra-caring arms 一)
I emphasize: The husband will lose.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
(my) husband, man
otto, FU, FŪ
Two 二 and person 人
The big 大 person with the extra-caring arms 一 is the husband.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
sort, kind, class, variety
RUI
Left: rice 米 and big 大, right: head/forehead 頁
(For plant breeding) The rice should grow as big as a head and we determine its: sort and class.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
reason, cause, origin, source
yoru, IN
Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: big person 大
The fence around the big person has its reason.  
JLPT 1Joyo 5
kindness, favor, benefit, grace
ON
Top: reason, cause 因 (For the fence 囗 around the big 大 person is a reason.), bottom: heart 心
The reason is in the heart, if sb. is such kind.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
come near, approach, meet, visit
yoru, KI
Top: roof 宀, bottom: strange 奇 (If it is a too big 大 opportunity 可 (possibility), it looks strange.)
Under a roof, there is the big possibility to get closer.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
play music, perform, report
kanaderu,
From top: three 三, person 人, sky/heaven 天
Three persons over the sky play music.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
be excited, stirred up, rouse
furuu, FUN
From top: big 大, bird 隹, field 田
If something big (i.e. an eagle) is over the birds in the field, they get excited.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
pattern, imitate, figure, copy, model
MO, BO
Left: tree 木, right: sink, go down 莫 (The plants 艹 are made by the sun 日 to be large 大 [= as long shadows] at sunset.) [Watch-out: sunrise is: 旦 or ]
The tree shows at sunset (by the long shadow) its pattern, or that shadow imitates it.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
marriage, matrimony
IN
Left: woman 女, right: cause 因 (For the fence 囗 around the big person 大 is a reason.)
Women are the cause of marriages. (OR: The woman becomes an enclosed 'big' person by marriage.)  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
inner part, core, wife
oku, Ō
From top: var. of building/roof 宀, rice 米, big 大
In the building is rice in big volumes, namely in its inner part (where the wife is).  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
yell, shout, cry
wameku, KAN
Left: mouth 口, right: (only as radical) birth 奐 (from top: head of a woman ⺈, upper part of her body 内 with emphasized breasts and spread legs 大)
The mouth at birth: yells and cries.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
exchange, convert
kaeru, KAN
Left: hand 扌, right: (only as radical) birth 奐 (from top: head of a woman ⺈, upper part of body 内 with emphasized breasts, spread legs 大 (cf.: to cry/shout 喚)
A hand at the birth made that the babies were exchanged.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
strange, unusual, odd
KI
Top: big 大, bottom: possible 可 (The nail 丁 into this opening 口 should be possible.)
(It seems to be too good to be real.) It is a big opportunity (possibility), but it looks strange.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
horseback riding, rider, equestrian
KI
Left: horse 馬 (image with a mane 三 in the wind, four legs 灬 and the tail フ), right: strange 奇 (There is a big 大 possibility 可, but it looks strange.)
A horse gives you big opportunities (=possibilities), when you are riding.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
consume, eat&drink, receive, ingest
KITSU
Left: mouth 口, right: pledge, promise 契 (tally stick , [pairwise marked sticks were distributed at the conclusion and joined again after implementation of an agreement] - Cut into a tally stick with a sword 刀 in big 大 letters: the pledge)
The mouth promises to eat and drink.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
pledge, promise, vow
chigiru, KEI
Top: tally stick , (pairwise marked sticks were distributed at the conclusion and joined again after implementation of an agreement), sword 刀, below: big 大
Cut into a tally stick with a sword in big letters: a pledge.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
proud, boast, pride, triumphantly
hokoru, KO
Left: word 言 (sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: 夸 (This is similar to: jaw, chin 顎 (= Under the eyes ロロ on the head 頁 is the jaw 丂)
When your words come from such a fat 太 jaw 丂, you are proud and boast.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
balance, scales, equilibrium

Outside: to go 行, middle: variation of fish 魚, big 大 (Here: See 行 as a scale with two communicating plates 彳,亍 going up/down)
Put the big fish on the shown: scales.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
cape, landhead, promontory
saki, KI
Left: mountain 山, right: strange 奇 (If it is a too big 大 opportunity 可 (possibility), it looks strange.)
(A beach might be behind?) Behind this "mountain" are big possibilities, because it is a cape.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
miserable, wretched, harsh, cruel, sad
mugoi, mijime, SAN, ZAN
Left: feeling 忄, right: participate 参 (Where the simplified/kneeling woman ム with the 'big' 大 hair 彡 is, I like to participate.)
The feeling that my nose is big and hairy makes me miserable.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
smell, stink, smack
kusai, SHŪ
Top: self 自 (The accented ノ eye 目 as the "self"), below: big 大
His ego is so big that it stinks.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
encourage, praise, exhort, promote
SHŌ
Top: commander 将 (A simple bed 丬, a hand caring hand 爫 [=reaching down] and a skillful hand 寸 needs the commander), bottom: big 大
A commander with grandeur encourages.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
measure of length, height, approx. 3m
take,
Variant of big 大, which shows a big person with spread arms. Here this person makes a wide step.
With a wide step it is measured: the length of 3m.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rob, take by force, snatch away, plunder
ubau, DATSU
From top: big 大, bird 隹, skillful hand 寸
For a big bird you need a skillful hand, for robbing it.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
stab, pierce, thrust, protrude, push, prick
tsuku, TOTSU
Top: hole, cavity 穴 (It is covered 宀 and a narrowing path 八 leads into the cave), below: big 大
The hole gets big [.. or bigger] if you stab in protrudingly.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
observance (of tasks), dedication, respectful, performance of one's duty
tatematsuru, HŌ, BU
From top: three 三, person 人, var. of hand 扌, 手
Three persons offer their hands for observance of their tasks.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rush, run quickly, bustle, gush
HON
Top: big 大, below 卉 (ten 十, plant 艹)
The big person is thirty-fold quick when: rushing away.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
colleague, official
RYŌ
Left: person 人, right: 尞 (big 大 person with fat 丷 legs, day 日, small 小)
The person who is at big and fat and is daily next to me (sb. small) is my colleague.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
dormitory, hostel
RYŌ
Top: roof 宀, below: 尞 (big 大 person with fat 丷 legs, day 日 (here: two tatami mats), small 小
Under a roof, the big ones (with fat legs) lie on tatami mats with the small ones: We are in a dormitory.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
tear, teardrop, sympathy
namida, RUI
Left: water 氵, right: to return 戻 (From a distance the door still appears small, but: The door 戸 gets bigger 大 and bigger [the closer you get] when you return.)
(Risk of flooding) If the water returns to your door, you will get (big) tears.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
return, bring back, restore
modoru/su, REI
Outside: door 戸, below: big 大
(From a distance the door still appears small, but:) The door 戸 gets bigger 大 and bigger (the closer you get) when you return.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
chair, seat, position
I
Left: tree/wood 木, right: strange 奇 (If it is a too big 大 opportunity 可 (possibility), it looks strange.)
The tree became a strange chair.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
gorge, throat, to be choked
musebu, IN
Left: mouth 口, right: reason 因 (For the fence 囗 around the big 大 person is a reason.)
It is at the mouth and an enclosure/restriction 囗 in respect to the size 大 (of the food): The gorge.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
I (male language), we
ore,
Left: person 人, right: big 大, lower part of dragon 竜 (It stands 立 in the field 田 with huge tail 乚: the dragon.)
The person who is as (boastful as) a big dragon: that's me. (with my toxic masculinity)  
JLPT -Joyo 7
cape (geography), spit (geography), promontory
sai,
Left: earth 土, right: strange/unusual 奇 (If it is a too big 大 opportunity 可 (possibility), it looks strange.)
(Maybe, there is a beautiful beach?) The earth has great possibilities beyond the cape (promontory).  
JLPT -Joyo 7
refreshing, clear, fresh
sawayaka,
Big 大 and 4 marks: 㐅 (Here: placeholders for refreshments)
The big man holds under his arms four refreshments.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
Nara, what?
NA
Top: big 大, below: to show/altar 示 (image of an altar 丁 with sth. 一 on, that is shown)
A big altar? What? - In Nara?  
JLPT -Joyo 7
cheek

Left the traditional form 夾 of: to squeeze 夹, which then was: A big 大 person is squeezed between two others 人人, right: head/forehead 頁
They are squeezing the head: the cheeks.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
clear, obvious
RYŌ
Left: eye 目, right: 尞 (big 大 person with fat 丷 legs, day 日, small 小 (cf.寮=dormitory without roof)
(Memories of big days fade with time) The eye sees that a big, fat day becomes a small one: That is obvious.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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