KaiwaGo大 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
大 means “big”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ダイ (dai), タイ (tai). Kun’yomi: おお (oo), おお.きい (ookii).
How to write 大 (stroke order)
Write 大 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 大
Trace 大 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 大
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ダイ (dai)タイ (tai) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | おお (oo)おお.きい (ookii) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 大 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 大
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大きい | おおきい ookii | big | |
| 大学 | だいがく daigaku | university |
大きい (ookii) means “big”.
大学 (daigaku) means “university”. Also in this word: 学
FAQ
What does 大 mean in Japanese?
大 means “big”. Common words with it are 大きい (ookii, “big”) and 大学 (daigaku, “university”).
How many strokes does 大 have?
大 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 大?
The on’yomi is ダイ (dai), タイ (tai) and the kun’yomi is おお (oo), おお.きい (ookii). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 大 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 大 is kanji number 39 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.