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大小 (dà xiǎo) — size; dimensions

Definition

大小 means the size or dimensions of a thing (clothes, shoes, objects). Unlike 号, which is used for clothing/shoe sizes, 大小 describes measurements in general; 尺寸 is a more formal synonym for precise measurements.

noun
sizedimensions

Examples

  • 大小。
    Zhè jiàn yī fu de dà xiǎo bù hé shì.
    The size of this piece of clothing isn't suitable.
  • ，大小。
    Wèn tí zài dà, nǐ yě yào xiān kàn qīng chǔ dà xiǎo.
    No matter how big the problem is, you should first understand its scale.
  • 大小，？
    Zhè liǎng shuāng xié dà xiǎo bù tóng, nǐ chuān nǎ yì shuāng?
    These two pairs of shoes are different sizes — which one do you wear?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

大dàlarge
小xiǎosmall

The two characters mean large and small; together they refer to size, extent, or overall scale.

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.

Open 大 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3Size & Dimension5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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