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大鱼 (dà yú) — big fish (literal); (figurative) big shot, important person

Definition

Literally 'big fish', but commonly used figuratively for a powerful or important person. The idiom 大鱼吃小鱼 ('big fish eat small fish') uses it for a dominant player.

noun
big fish (literal)(figurative) big shotimportant person
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 大鱼。
    Wǒ zài hé lǐ kàn jiàn yì tiáo dà yú.
    I saw a big fish in the river.
  • 大鱼。
    Zhè cì xíng dòng zhuā dào le yí gè dà yú.
    This operation caught a big fish (important person).
  • 大鱼。
    Tā shì gōng sī lǐ de yì tiáo dà yú.
    He is a big fish in the company.

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dàbig
鱼yúfish

大 gives the size, 鱼 gives the animal, literally a big fish.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 魚; 鱼 is its simplified writing.

For 鱼, the traditional form 魚 is a picture of a fish.

Open 鱼 →
Appears in
Fish & Aquatic Life

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