大概

Chinese

		big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor	general; approximate
trad. (大概/大槪)		大	概/槪
simp. (大概)		大	概

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): dàgài

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄚˋ ㄍㄞˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): daai⁶ koi³, daai⁶ koi^3-2

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): thai-khói

  (Meixian, Guangdong): tai³ koi³

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tāi-khài / tāi-kài

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dai⁶ kai³

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶da-ke

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dàgài
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄚˋ ㄍㄞˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dàgài
    • Wade–Giles: ta⁴-kai⁴
    • Yale: dà-gài
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dahgay
    • Palladius: дагай (dagaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ kaɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: daai⁶ koi³, daai⁶ koi^3-2
    • Yale: daaih koi, daaih kói
    • Cantonese Pinyin: daai⁶ koi³, daai⁶ koi^3-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: dai⁶ koi³, dai⁶ koi^3-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taːi̯²² kʰɔːi̯³³/, /taːi̯²² kʰɔːi̯³³⁻³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thai-khói
    • Hakka Romanization System: tai koi`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tai⁴ koi³
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰai̯⁵⁵ kʰoi̯³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: tai³ koi³
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰaɪ³¹ kʰoɪ³¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāi-khài
    • Tâi-lô: tāi-khài
    • Phofsit Daibuun: daixqaix
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tai⁴¹⁻²² kʰai⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tai³³⁻¹¹ kʰai¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tai³³⁻²¹ kʰai²¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /tai²²⁻²¹ kʰai²¹/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāi-kài
    • Tâi-lô: tāi-kài
    • Phofsit Daibuun: daixkaix
    • IPA (Taipei): /tai³³⁻¹¹ kai¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tai³³⁻²¹ kai²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dai⁶ kai³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tăi khài
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tai³⁵⁻¹¹ kʰai²¹³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶da-ke
    • MiniDict: da^去 ke
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³da-ke
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /da²² ke⁴⁴/

Adverb

大概

1. approximately; roughly; about

   • 誠偽是品性，卻又是態度。從前論人誠偽，大概就品性而言。 [MSC, trad.]
     诚伪是品性，却又是态度。从前论人诚伪，大概就品性而言。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 朱自清 (Zhu Ziqing), 《論誠意》

     Chéngwěi shì pǐnxìng, què yòu shì tàidù. Cóngqián lùn rén chéngwěi, dàgài jiù pǐnxìng éryán. [Pinyin]

     Sincerity and hypocrisy make up our moral character, but they also inform our attitude. In the past, when talking of sincerity and hypocrisy, discussions centred mostly on moral character.

2. probably; likely

Synonyms

• (approximately):

• 上下 (shàngxià)
• 光景 (guāngjǐng)
• 前後／前后 (qiánhòu) (of a point in or period of time)
• 參差／参差 (cēncī) (literary)
• 大抵 (dàdǐ)
• 大率 (dàshuài) (literary)
• 大約／大约 (dàyuē)
• 大約摸／大约摸 (dàyuēmō) (colloquial)
• 大致 (dàzhì)
• 左右 (zuǒyòu)
• 模樣／模样
• 無慮／无虑 (wúlǜ) (literary)
• 約摸／约摸 (yuēmo)
• 約略／约略 (yuēlüè)

 

• (probably):

• 博濟／博济 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 多半 (duōbàn)
• 多半兒／多半儿 (duōbànr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 大半 (dàbàn)
• 大約／大约 (dàyuē)
• 大約摸／大约摸 (dàyuēmō) (colloquial)
• 想必 (xiǎngbì)
• 無慮／无虑 (wúlǜ) (literary)

 

Noun

大概

1. general idea; rough idea

Adjective

大概

1. (attributive) approximate; rough

   大概的數目／大概的数目  ―  dàgài de shùmù  ―  approximate amount

2. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) generous; magnanimous

Synonyms

• (approximate): 大約／大约 (dàyuē)

See also

• 概括 (gàikuò)
• 籠統／笼统 (lǒngtǒng)

Further reading

• “Entry #50284”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
大	概
たい Grade: 1	がい Grade: S
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
大槪 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ta̠iɡa̠i]

Noun

大(たい)概(がい) • (taigai) 

1. generality

Adverb

大(たい)概(がい) • (taigai) 

1. mostly, in general

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
大	概

Adverb

大概

1. chữ Hán form of đại khái (“the big idea; In general; generally; overall”).

Adjective

大概

1. chữ Hán form of đại khái (“perfunctory”).