偌大 (ruò dà) — (formal) so big, such a huge (scale or size)

Definition

Literary, written-style modifier meaning 'so big, such a huge'. Used to emphasize scale, typically before a measure phrase (∼一座城市), in formal prose rather than everyday speech.

verb
(formal) so bigsuch a huge (scale or size)

Examples

  • 偌大，。
    ruò dà Yí zuò chéng shì, jìng rán zhǎo bú dào yí gè ān jìng de jiǎo luò.
    Such a huge city, yet not a single quiet corner can be found.
  • 偌大。
    Tā bēi fù zhe ruò dà yí gè jiā zú de zhòng dàn.
    He carries the heavy burden of such a large family.
  • 偌大，。
    ruò dà Yí piàn tǔ dì, què wú rén gēng zhòng.
    Such a vast piece of land, yet no one cultivates it.

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.

偌ruòso
大dàbig

偌 means so and 大 means big, giving such a large size.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
若
若ruò偌ruò
Same sound today

偌 pairs 人, meaning man, with 若, which gives the sound.

Open 偌 →

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 →

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