Meaning of 大概
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- roughly
- probably
- rough
- approximate
- about
- general idea
How to use 大概
As an adverb, 大概 goes before the verb or number to mean probably or about. It can also act as a noun or adjective meaning the general idea, as in 大概的意思 (dàgài de yìsi), the rough meaning. Example: 他大概八点到。 (Tā dàgài bā diǎn dào.) He will probably arrive around eight.
大 (dà) means big, and 概 (gài) is about a general outline. Seeing only the big outline of something gives you a rough idea, so 大概 means roughly or probably.
Common mistake: Learners often put 大概 at the very end of a sentence the way English uses "probably" or "about". In Chinese it comes before the verb or number, so say 我大概明天去 (wǒ dàgài míngtiān qù), not 我明天去大概. Also remember 概 is fourth tone (gài), not gāi like 该.
大概 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
大 dà · big · 3 strokes
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- 2
- 3
概 gài · generally · 13 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
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- 13
Related words
Words that share a character with 大概.
| 大学 | dàxué | university; college |
| 大学生 | dàxuéshēng | university student; college student |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone; influential family |
| 大人 | dàren | adult; grownup |
| 长大 | zhǎngdà | to grow up |
| 大部分 | dàbùfen | the greater part; the majority; most; Taiwan pr. [da4bu4fen4] |
| 大声 | dà shēng | loud voice; in a loud voice |
| 大量 | dàliàng | great amount; large quantity |
| 大多数 | dàduōshù | (great) majority |
| 大海 | dàhǎi | sea; ocean |
| 大门 | dàmén | entrance; door |
Questions about 大概
What does 大概 mean?
大概 (dàgài) means "roughly; probably" and is used as a adjective and adverb.
How do you write 大概?
大概 is made of 2 characters: 大 (3 strokes), 概 (13 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 大概 an HSK word?
Yes. 大概 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 大概 and 可能?
Both can mean probably, but 大概 suggests a fairly confident estimate, while 可能 (kěnéng) just means possibly. 可能 can also be a noun meaning possibility, and 大概 can mean approximately with numbers, which 可能 does not usually do.
Can I use 大概 alone as an answer?
Yes. If someone asks whether something is true, you can reply 大概吧 (dàgài ba), meaning probably or I guess so. It sounds casual and a little uncertain.