大都会
daitokai
The English phrase "big city" is expressed in Japanese as 大都会 (daitokai).
大都会 is used to describe a very large and densely populated urban center. It is often used to evoke the specific atmosphere of a massive, fast-paced urban center, such as Tokyo.
Which one should you use?
While 大都会 emphasizes the scale and bustle of a metropolis, a more neutral term for a large city is 大都市.
How do you pronounce it?
daitokai
Did you know?
- The character 都 in 大都会 historically referred to the residence of the emperor, meaning the term 'big city' is linguistically rooted in imperial power.
- While 大都会 refers to the physical city, Japanese has a related term 都会的 to describe a person's sophisticated or 'city-like' fashion and manners.
- The term 大都会 is often used in Japanese music and lyrics to represent a sense of loneliness or alienation despite being surrounded by millions of people.
Examples in context
- ボストンは大都会です。Boston is a big city.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific location is a big city using 大都会.Tatoeba #10492523 by small_snow, translation #4811756 by CK
- 私は大都会に住んでいる。I live in a big city.This sentence is useful for saying that you live in a big city using 大都会.Tatoeba #155182 by bunbuku, translation #259357 by CK
- それで、大都会での生活はどうなの？So, how is life in the big city?This sentence is useful for asking about life in the big city using 大都会.Tatoeba #11029374 by small_snow, translation #3342735 by Hybrid
- A: 東京はどうですか？ (Tōkyō wa dō desu ka?) B: 大都市なのでとても忙しいです。 (Daitoshi na node totemo isogashī desu.)A: How is Tokyo? B: It's very busy because it's a big city.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about moving to Tokyo.
- 美咲 Misaki東京は大都会だから、少し緊張するね。Tokyo wa daitokai dakara, sukoshi kincho suru ne.Tokyo is a big city, so I'm a little nervous.
- 健太 Kentaそうだね、でも大都会の生活は楽しそうだよ。Sou da ne, demo daitokai no seikatsu wa tanoshisou da yo.That's true, but life in a big city looks fun.
- 美咲 Misaki健太君なら、すぐに慣れそうだね。Kenta-kun nara, sugu ni nare sou da ne.You seem like you would get used to it quickly, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaやってみるよ、頑張るね。Yatte miru yo, ganbaru ne.I'll give it a try, I'll do my best.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
