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大量 (dà liàng) — large in amount or number; a large quantity of; generous; magnanimous

Definition

As an adjective, 大量 means 'a large amount/number of' (modifying nouns, like 大批 but more general). The 'generous, magnanimous' sense is rare — 大方 is the everyday word for that.

adjective
large in amount or numbera large quantity ofgenerousmagnanimous

Examples

  • 大量。
    Tā mǎi le dà liàng shuǐ guǒ hé shū cài.
    He bought a large amount of fruit and vegetables.
  • 大量。
    Gōng sī xū yào dà liàng xīn yuán gōng.
    The company needs a large number of new employees.
  • 大量。
    Zhè ge chéng shì měi nián xiāo fèi dà liàng liáng shi.
    This city consumes a large quantity of grain every year.

Origin

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.

大dàgreat
量liángamount

大 as great modifies 量 as amount, referring to a large quantity or number.

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.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →
Appears in
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