How to Say "Big" in Russian - How To Say Guide

большо́й

bolʹšój

The English word 'big' is translated into Russian using several forms depending on the context. The most common form is большо́й (bolʹšój). Wiktionary also lists вели́кий (velíkij) and кру́пный (krúpnyj).

Meaning: of a great size (adj)

Ways to say it

“big” in Russian
Russian	Romanization (Wiktionary)
большо́й	bolʹšój
вели́кий	velíkij
кру́пный	krúpnyj

Russian uses different adjectives to express the concept of being big, whether you are referring to physical scale, importance or professional status.

Which one should you use?

большо́й is the most common, general-purpose word for 'big' or 'large' when describing physical dimensions or scale. кру́пный is used for 'large' in a more formal, technical or abstract sense, such as describing 'large-scale' operations or 'large-scale business'. вели́кий is reserved for 'great' in terms of historical significance, importance or greatness, such as 'Great Alexander', rather than simple physical size.

How does it change in a sentence?

The adjective большо́й must change its ending to match the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies. For example, большо́го is the genitive or accusative masculine form.

How do you pronounce it?

bolʹšój

Did you know?

Russian uses the word большо́й to describe a 'big' (senior) brother or sister, большо́й брат, whereas English speakers would typically say 'older'.
In Russian, calling a person вели́кий is almost exclusively reserved for historical figures or geniuses, and using it for a living person is often seen as extreme sarcasm.
The word большо́й comes from the same root as the word for 'more', бо́льше, linking the concept of size directly to the concept of quantity.

Examples in context

Это очень большой город.
This is a very big city.
У него есть большой опыт работы.
He has a lot of work experience.
Это крупный проект.
This is a big project.
Он выиграл крупный приз.
He won a big prize.
большо́й дом
A big house
кру́пный план
Close-up (shot)

Example conversation

Anastasia and Dmitry are looking at a house for sale.

Анастасия Anastasia

Посмотри, какой здесь большо́й дом!
Posmotri, kakoy zdes' bol'shoy dom!
Look, what a big house there is here!
Дмитрий Dmitry

Да, он кажется слишком огромным.
Da, on kazhetsya slishkom ogromnym.
Yes, it seems too huge.
Анастасия Anastasia

Но тут есть большо́й сад.
No tut yest' bol'shoy sad.
But there is a big garden here.
Дмитрий Dmitry

Это действительно отличный вариант.
Eto deystvitel'no otlichnyy variant.
That is indeed a great option.

Sources

Wiktionary, “big” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.

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How to Say “Big” in Russian