特大 (tè dà) — to be especially large; extra-large

Definition

verb

to be especially largeextra-large

特大，。
Zhè cì tái fēng tè bié tè dà, yào zhù yì ān quán.
This typhoon is especially large; be careful.
特大，。
Nà ge chāo shì de xī guā tè dà, yí gè jiù yǒu shí jīn.
The watermelons at that supermarket are extra-large; one weighs ten jin.
特大。
Zhè shì yì tiáo tè dà xīn wén.
This is a piece of huge news.

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.

The extra or special sense in 特 narrows the big sense in 大, giving especially large.

Characters in this word

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

牛寺特

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

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

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

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.

Appears in