Big in Different Languages
Discover 'Big' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'big' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, indicating something of great size, importance, or impact. Its cultural importance is evident in idioms and phrases such as 'big things come in small packages' or 'go big or go home.' Understanding the translation of 'big' in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural perspectives and nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'grande' is used to describe something large, while in French, 'grand' is used for both size and respect.
Moreover, the word 'big' has fascinating historical contexts. In Old English, 'big' was derived from 'be-' (by) and 'gic-' (yew tree), referring to the size of the yew tree. Today, the word has evolved to encompass a broader range of meanings and connotations.
So, why should you know the translation of 'big' in different languages? Learning new languages broadens our perspectives, deepens our cultural understanding, and enhances our communication skills. By knowing the translation of 'big' in various languages, we can better appreciate the diversity and richness of the world's cultures.
Big
Big in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | groot | ||
| The word "groot" in Afrikaans originates from the Dutch word "groot", which also means "big". | |||
| Amharic | ትልቅ | ||
| The word ትልቅ (big) in Amharic can also mean "old" or "senior". | |||
| Hausa | babba | ||
| Hausa 'babba' also refers to the first male born into a family's compound after the construction of a new room. | |||
| Igbo | ukwu | ||
| "Ukwu" also means "forehead" or "beginning" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | big | ||
| In Malagasy, "lehibe" and "be" both mean "big" but "lehibe" emphasizes size and "be" refers to importance or quality. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chachikulu | ||
| The word "chachikulu" in Nyanja (Chichewa) means "big" or "large", and can also be used to describe something that is impressive or magnificent. | |||
| Shona | hombe | ||
| In the phrase 'hombe nombe', hombe refers to a small amount or portion | |||
| Somali | weyn | ||
| The term "weyn" additionally refers to anything "outstanding" or "special" in the Somali language. | |||
| Sesotho | kholo | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "kholo" derives from the Proto-Bantu word for "tall" and is often used figuratively to describe a person of high importance or respect. | |||
| Swahili | kubwa | ||
| The word 'kubwa' also means 'important' or 'mature' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | enkulu | ||
| In many cases, the word 'enkulu' can also refer to 'the most important' or 'the best of its kind'. | |||
| Yoruba | nla | ||
| "Nla" can also refer to "importance" or "significance" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | enkulu | ||
| The word "enkulu" can also refer to something that is grand or imposing. | |||
| Bambara | belebele | ||
| Ewe | lolo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | binini | ||
| Lingala | monene | ||
| Luganda | obunene | ||
| Sepedi | kgolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɛseɛ | ||
Big in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كبير | ||
| The root (ك ب ر) can also mean "to honor" or "to be important." | |||
| Hebrew | גָדוֹל | ||
| The Hebrew word "גָדוֹל" (gadol) has the same root as the word "גָדַל" (גדל), meaning "to grow". | |||
| Pashto | لوی | ||
| The word "لوی" can also mean "chief" or "leader" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | كبير | ||
| The root (ك ب ر) can also mean "to honor" or "to be important." | |||
Big in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i madh | ||
| The word "i madh" is also used in the expression "i shumtë", meaning "many" or "much". | |||
| Basque | handia | ||
| The Basque word 'handia' shares its root with the word 'handi', meaning 'great' or 'magnificent'. | |||
| Catalan | gran | ||
| The Catalan word "gran" comes from the Latin word "grandis", which also means "large" or "big" and is the root of the English word "grand". | |||
| Croatian | velik | ||
| The word 'velik' is cognate with the Latin word 'grandis', meaning 'great'. | |||
| Danish | stor | ||
| The Danish word "stor" has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as "stór" in Icelandic and "stor" in Swedish, all deriving from the Proto-Germanic root *stōr-. | |||
| Dutch | groot | ||
| The word "groot" can also be used to refer to the size of a person, an animal, or a thing, or to the amount of something. | |||
| English | big | ||
| The word 'big' is derived from the Old Norse word 'biggja', meaning 'to build' or 'to dwell'. | |||
| French | gros | ||
| The word 'gros' not only means 'big' in French, but also 'fat', 'gross', 'vulgar', and 'rude'. | |||
| Frisian | grut | ||
| The Frisian word "grut" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word *greuta-, meaning "large" or "heavy". | |||
| Galician | grande | ||
| The Galician word "grande" also means "tall", "important", "magnificent", "great" or "excellent". | |||
| German | groß | ||
| The German word "groß" originates from the Proto-Germanic "grautaz," meaning both "big" and "old." | |||
| Icelandic | stór | ||
| The word “stór” (big) stems from the Proto-Germanic word “*staur-“ meaning “post” or “pole,” which also gave rise to the English word “stare” (a rigid post, stake). | |||
| Irish | mór | ||
| The word "mór" in Irish also has connotations of "important" or "significant". | |||
| Italian | grande | ||
| In Italian, "grande" also signifies high quality, impressive size, or high status. | |||
| Luxembourgish | grouss | ||
| The word "grouss" in Luxembourgish, originating from the German "groß", also means "great" and "important" in some contexts. | |||
| Maltese | kbir | ||
| Kbir, ultimately sourced from Arabic, not only signifies 'large' in Maltese but can also mean 'old' in certain contexts. | |||
| Norwegian | stor | ||
| The Norwegian word "stor" can refer to anything from physical size to large scale events. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | grande | ||
| The Portuguese word "grande" can also mean "magnanimous" or "noble". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mòr | ||
| The Gaelic word "mòr" is also used to refer to the Lord or God. | |||
| Spanish | grande | ||
| The Spanish word "grande" also refers to a nobleman with a title equivalent to that of a duke. | |||
| Swedish | stor | ||
| 'Stor' also translates roughly as 'great' in its sense as the opposite of insignificant, as well as in its sense of 'fine' when referring to quality, as in the Swedish word for Britain: 'Storbritannien' ('Great Britain'). | |||
| Welsh | mawr | ||
| The Welsh word 'mawr' derives from the Proto-Celtic '*magros', meaning 'great' or 'noble' | |||
Big in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вялікі | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning as 'big', 'вялікі' can also mean 'important', 'great', or 'grand' in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | velika | ||
| "Velika" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "velьka" and is related to the English word "whale". | |||
| Bulgarian | голям | ||
| The word "голям" can also mean "great" or "important" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | velký | ||
| The Czech word "velký" is cognate with the Latvian word "lielks" (great), suggesting a shared Proto-Balto-Slavic origin. | |||
| Estonian | suur | ||
| The word "suur" in Estonian is also used to refer to something that is great or important. | |||
| Finnish | iso | ||
| The word "iso" in Finnish has an alternate meaning of "father" or "master", possibly derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁es-. | |||
| Hungarian | nagy | ||
| The word "nagy" also means "great" or "illustrious" and is the etymon of many Hungarian-originated words, such as "magnate". | |||
| Latvian | liels | ||
| The word 'liels' is derived from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word *leli-, meaning 'open space' or 'field'. | |||
| Lithuanian | didelis | ||
| The word "didelis" in Lithuanian is cognate with the Sanskrit word "dirdha," also meaning "big." | |||
| Macedonian | големо | ||
| The word "големо" can also mean "great" or "important". | |||
| Polish | duży | ||
| In the Slavic languages, the word "duży" is related to the word for "heavy", suggesting that size and weight were once closely associated. | |||
| Romanian | mare | ||
| In Romanian, "mare" can also refer to a female horse, a goddess, or a body of water. | |||
| Russian | большой | ||
| "Большой" originates from the Proto-Slavic "bolьšь" meaning "great, elder" and is related to the word "больше" meaning "more, greater". | |||
| Serbian | велика | ||
| The word "велика" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "velъkъ", which originally meant "large" or "strong". | |||
| Slovak | veľký | ||
| "Veľký" comes from the Proto-Slavic *velьgъ, meaning "great" or "important". | |||
| Slovenian | velik | ||
| The word "velik" is also used to describe something that is impressive or important. | |||
| Ukrainian | великий | ||
| The Ukrainian word великий can also refer to something important or significant. | |||
Big in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিশাল | ||
| "বিশাল" comes from the Sanskrit word "višāla" meaning "wide" or "broad". | |||
| Gujarati | મોટું | ||
| The word 'મોટું' originated from the Sanskrit word 'महत्' meaning 'great' or 'large', but it can also refer to an older person as a term of respect. | |||
| Hindi | बड़े | ||
| The word "बड़े" can also mean "elder" or a "respected person" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ದೊಡ್ಡದು | ||
| Malayalam | വലുത് | ||
| "വലുത്" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *pulu-, meaning "to grow, to be great or grand". It also carries the connotation of "seniority" and "importance". | |||
| Marathi | मोठा | ||
| "मोठा" may be related to the Sanskrit word "महान" (great) through Prakrit "मोहण" (beautiful), and "मोहा" (fascination or attachment). | |||
| Nepali | ठूलो | ||
| ठूलो derives from the Sanskrit word sthūla, which also means 'coarse' or 'heavy'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵੱਡਾ | ||
| ਵੱਡਾ (vaḍḍā) in Punjabi originated from Sanskrit Vriddhi, meaning growth or increase. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මහා | ||
| "මහා" can also mean a person who is greatly respected and revered in Sinhala, such as a king or a scholar. | |||
| Tamil | பெரியது | ||
| "பெரியது" originally meant "mature." In the modern sense it can also mean "important" or "difficult". | |||
| Telugu | పెద్దది | ||
| The root 'pedd' in 'peddadi' (big) also appears in 'peddillu' (children), where it means "elder". | |||
| Urdu | بڑا | ||
| The term "بڑا" (baṛā) is derived from Sanskrit "वृद्ध" (vr̥ddha), meaning "grown, old" or "large, big". | |||
Big in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 大 | ||
| The simplified Chinese character "大" is a combination of two radicals, "人" (person) and "一" (one), and originally meant "great" or "important." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 大 | ||
| In addition to meaning "big", "大" (大) can also mean "very", "greatly", "universally", or "generally". | |||
| Japanese | 大きい | ||
| The word "大きい" can also mean "great" or "important" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 큰 | ||
| The word "큰" can also be a noun that means "an adult" or "a high-ranking person". | |||
| Mongolian | том | ||
| The word 'том' in Mongolian can also refer to a bundle or package. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြီးတယ် | ||
Big in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | besar | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "besar" also means "important" or "grand" in a figurative sense. | |||
| Javanese | amba | ||
| "Amba" can also refer to a tree house or a small house built on stilts, or to a type of Javanese mask used in traditional dance. | |||
| Khmer | ធំ | ||
| ធំ refers to size as well as age, importance, or social status. | |||
| Lao | ໃຫຍ່ | ||
| Malay | besar | ||
| The word "besar" is closely related to words in other Austronesian languages, such as "bassal" in Tagalog and "besaq" in Indonesian, all meaning "big" or "large". | |||
| Thai | ใหญ่ | ||
| "ใหญ่" can also mean 'mature', 'senior', or 'important'. | |||
| Vietnamese | to | ||
| The word "to" can also mean "great" or "important". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malaki | ||
Big in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | böyük | ||
| Böyük, meaning big in Azerbaijani, derives from Old Turkic "büjük/biyük," originally used to express "elder/leader." | |||
| Kazakh | үлкен | ||
| Үлкен's root word **үл** means **to grow**, so it can also mean **mature** or **old** in addition to **big**. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чоң | ||
| The word "чоң" can also mean "great" or "important" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | калон | ||
| Калон is related to the Persian word کلان, meaning either "large" or "chief". | |||
| Turkmen | uly | ||
| Uzbek | katta | ||
| "Katta" also means the first-born child or an elder relative. | |||
| Uyghur | big | ||
Big in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | nui | ||
| "Nui" means "very" or "very much" when used with adjectives and adverbs, as well as "big". | |||
| Maori | nui | ||
| In Māori, the word "nui" can also refer to a large group of people or a great distance. | |||
| Samoan | lapoʻa | ||
| In Samoan, the word "lapoʻa" also signifies a sense of grandeur or majesty, connoting a profound sense of respect and admiration. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | malaki | ||
| The word "malaki" in Tagalog can also be used figuratively to mean "important" or "significant" in a non-physical sense. | |||
Big in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jach'a | ||
| Guarani | tuicha | ||
Big in International Languages
| Esperanto | granda | ||
| The Esperanto word "granda" comes from the French word "grand", meaning "large" or "great". | |||
| Latin | magnum | ||
| The Latin word "magnum" was used in a more general sense of "great" or "noble" rather than strictly denoting physical size. | |||
Big in Others Languages
| Greek | μεγάλο | ||
| The word 'μεγάλο' (big) in Greek is derived from the root 'μεγ-,' which also means 'great' or 'mighty.' | |||
| Hmong | loj | ||
| The word "loj" can also mean "long" or "tall". | |||
| Kurdish | mezin | ||
| The word "mezin" is also used to describe an older sibling or the biggest child in the family. | |||
| Turkish | büyük | ||
| Büyük also means 'grown-up' or 'elder' and is used to address someone with respect. | |||
| Xhosa | enkulu | ||
| In many cases, the word 'enkulu' can also refer to 'the most important' or 'the best of its kind'. | |||
| Yiddish | גרויס | ||
| The Yiddish word "גרויס" comes from the Old High German word "grôz" meaning "huge" or "monstrous". | |||
| Zulu | enkulu | ||
| The word "enkulu" can also refer to something that is grand or imposing. | |||
| Assamese | ডাঙৰ | ||
| Aymara | jach'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | बड़हन | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޮޑު | ||
| Dogri | बड्डा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malaki | ||
| Guarani | tuicha | ||
| Ilocano | dakkel | ||
| Krio | big | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەورە | ||
| Maithili | पैघ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯆꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lian | ||
| Oromo | guddaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବଡ | ||
| Quechua | hatun | ||
| Sanskrit | विशालः | ||
| Tatar | зур | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓብይ | ||
| Tsonga | lexikulu | ||