大个子 (dà gè zi) — a big/tall person; big guy (colloquial)

Definition

Casual, colloquial term for a tall or big person — use 个 as the measure word (个大个子). More everyday than the neutral 高个子.

noun

a big/tall personbig guy (colloquial)

Measure word · 个

大个子，。
Wǒ men bān yǒu gè dà gè zi, dǎ qiú hěn lì hài.
Our class has a big guy who is really good at ball games.
大个子，。
Nà ge dà gè zi zhàn zài mén kǒu, dǎng zhù le yáng guāng.
That tall person stood at the door, blocking the sunlight.
大个子，。
Bié kàn tā shì gè dà gè zi, qí shí xìng gé hěn wēn róu.
Don't judge by his size — he's actually very gentle.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

个子stature

个gèindividual子zǐsuffix

后缀Suffix

Big and stature combine to mean a tall or large person.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 個; 个 is its simplified writing.

亻固個

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

固

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Appears in