“Big” in Japanese is 大きい (おおきい), pronounced ōkii.
Pronunciation
The word has 4 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
Big or large. Before nouns there’s also the form 大きな: 大きな家, a big house.
Example sentences
- この家は大きいです。このいえはおおきいです。This house is big.
- 大きい犬が好きです。おおきいいぬがすきです。I like big dogs.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 大きい. The rules are explained in い- vs. な-adjectives.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 大きい おおきい | big |
| Polite present | 大きいです おおきいです | is big |
| Negative | 大きくないです おおきくないです | isn’t big |
| Past | 大きかったです おおきかったです | was big |
| Past negative | 大きくなかったです おおきくなかったです | wasn’t big |
| て-form | 大きくて おおきくて | big and… |
| Adverb (く) | 大きく おおきく | adverb form (+ verb) |
Quick practice
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Related words: Adjectives
FAQ
How do you say big in Japanese?
Big in Japanese is 大きい (おおきい), pronounced “ōkii”.
How do you write big in Japanese?
It's written 大きい with kanji, or おおきい in hiragana. Both are read ōkii.
Is 大きい on the JLPT?
Yes. 大きい (ōkii) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.