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大个 (dà gè) — big guy, large one (colloquial)

Definition

Colloquial, casual way to call someone a 'big guy' — friendly, often used to address a tall person directly. Functions as a noun or a direct address, not an adjective for objects.

noun
big guylarge one (colloquial)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge dà gè shì wǒ gē ge.
    This big guy is my brother.
  • 。
    Tā mǎi le yí gè dà gè xī guā.
    He bought a big watermelon.
  • ，。
    Dà gè, nǐ děng yí xià.
    Big guy, wait a moment.

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
个gèindividual

大 means big, and 个 refers to an individual, so it denotes a big guy or large one.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 個; 个 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
固
固gù個ge
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.

Open 个 →
Appears in
Size & Dimension

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