大きな男の子
ōkina otokonoko
The English phrase 'big boy' can be translated into Japanese as 大きな男の子 (ōkina otokonoko).
大きな男の子 is used to refer to an independent adult male.
Meaning: An independent adult male (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 大きな男の子 refers to an independent adult male, the colloquial phrase Dekkai yatsu is used to mean 'big guy' or 'huge dude'.
How do you pronounce it?
ōkina otokonoko
Did you know?
- While 大きな男の子 translates to 'big boy', using it for an adult man can sound patronizing or even condescending, as if you are treating him like a child.
- While 大きな and 大きい both mean 'big', 大きな is an adnominal adjective that can only appear directly before a noun, making it grammatically distinct from most adjectives.
- The word でっかい in Dekkai yatsu is an emphasized version of 大きい, created by adding a geminate consonant to sound more visceral and impactful.
Examples in context
- 田中さんの息子は大きな男の子です。Mr. Tanaka's son is a big boy.
- 彼は子供なんだけど、すごく大きいよ。He is just a child, but he is really big.
Example conversation
Yui is talking to Hiroto about his growth.
- 大翔 Hiroto僕ももう大きな男の子だよ。boku mo mou ookina otokonoko da yo.I'm a big boy too now.
- 結衣 Yui本当ね。とても頼もしいわ。hontou ne. totemo tanomoshii wa.That's true. You're very reliable.
- 大翔 Hiroto一人で買い物に行けるよ。hitori de kaimono ni ikeru yo.I can go shopping by myself.
- 結衣 Yuiさすが大きな男の子ね。sasuga ookina otokonoko ne.As expected of a big boy.
