Meaning

Primary

Generally

Alternatives

About, General, Gist

Word Type

adverb, noun, の adjective

Explanation

If all you can see is the big body of something, then you'll only get a general idea of what it is. You'll be able to say that it's generally a certain way, but that's about all. You'll get the gist, but no more.

Reading

だいたい
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. Since has two on'yomi readings, here's a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:

Generally, it's a bad idea to dye your ties (だいたい). The tie police isn't a big fan of it, and you wouldn't wanna get arrested!

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 大体おなじ

    about the same

    大体分かる

    to mostly understand

    大体半分

    about half

Context Sentences

大体は正しいです。

It's mostly correct.

右手と左手の大きさは大体同じです。

Right and left hands are about the same size.

大体三日かかります。

It takes about three days.

Kanji Composition