大男孩
dà nánhái
The English phrase "big boy" can be translated into Chinese as 大男孩 (dà nánhái).
大男孩 is used to refer to an independent adult male. Depending on the tone, it can also be used in a warm manner to express affection towards a young boy.
Meaning: An independent adult male (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 大 (big) and 男孩 (boy).
Which one should you use?
While 大男孩 refers to a "big boy," other terms may be more appropriate depending on what you want to emphasize. Use 大块头 to playfully underline a person's physical size, or 大汉子 to mean "big guy." You can also use 大孩子 to mean "big kid."
How do you pronounce it?
dà nánhái
Did you know?
- In certain romantic contexts, calling a boyfriend a 大男孩 can be a way to express that he is 'cute' or 'adorable' despite his age.
- To praise a young boy for being 'brave' or 'tough', Chinese speakers typically use 男子汉 instead of 大男孩.
- The character 大 in 大男孩 does not always refer to physical size but often denotes 'older' or 'mature' when used as a prefix for family members.
Examples in context
- 他是個大男孩。He's a big boy.Tatoeba #824647 by Martha, translation #288238 by CK
- 你的儿子长大成人了，他现在是个大男孩了。Your son has grown into a fine young man. He's a big boy now.
- 我侄子比他所有的同学都高，他是个大个子呀！My nephew is taller than all his classmates. He's a big boy!
- 你表现很勇敢，儿子，你现在是个大男人了。You acted bravely, my son. You're a big boy now.
Example conversation
Zihan and Junjie are talking about Junjie's recent move.
- 梓涵 Zihan你现在一个人住吗？Nǐ xiànzài yīgè rén zhù ma?Are you living alone now?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，我想尝试独立生活。Shì de, wǒ xiǎng chángshì dúlì shēnghuó.Yes, I want to try living independently.
- 梓涵 Zihan看来你终于变成一个大男孩了。Kàn lái nǐ zhōngyú biàn chéng yīgè dà nánhái le.It looks like you've finally become a big boy.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也这么觉得，虽然洗衣服很累。Wǒ yě zhème juédé, suīrán xǐ yīfú hěn lèi.I think so too, although doing laundry is tiring.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
