大男
oootoko
The Japanese phrase for "big man" is 大男 (oootoko).
大男 is used to describe a man who is very large in size or height. While it refers to physical stature, it is not used to describe a man who is "powerful" or "important" in a social or political sense. Depending on the desired tone, other expressions may be more appropriate: 大柄な男性 is a neutral way to refer to a large-framed man, while 体の大きい男性 literally means a man with a big body and is used to describe physical size in a respectful manner. For a more formal or literary context, 巨漢 can be used to imply a giant or huge man. In casual settings, you might hear the colloquial デカい男 or the even more casual デカいやつ, which means "big guy" and uses the word やつ to convey a more casual tone.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 大男 is composed of the kanji 大, meaning "big" or "large" and 男, meaning "man".
Which one should you use?
大男 refers specifically to a man of large physical stature, whereas it does not carry the connotation of a person being a "big man" in terms of social influence or power.
How do you pronounce it?
oootoko
Did you know?
- While 大男 describes a physically large man, the word 大物 refers to a 'big person' in terms of social status or ambition. Using 大男 to praise a powerful leader would mistakenly comment on their body size instead of their influence.
- The word 大男 can sometimes sound more like a character in a folk tale or a legend than a description of a person in real life.
- The word デカい used in デカい男 is believed by some linguists to be a shortened form of the word for 'huge' or 'vast'. In modern slang, it is often used to describe anything from a large meal to a big mistake.
Examples in context
- 彼は大柄な男性ですが、心優しい人です。He is a big-framed man, but a kind-hearted person.
- あのデカいやつ、すごい力持ちだよ。That big guy is incredibly strong.
- あの大男は誰ですか？Ano oo-otoko wa dare desu ka?Who is that big man?
- 大男が通り過ぎました。Oo-otoko ga toorisugimashita.A big man passed by.
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are watching a basketball game.
- 結衣 Yui見て、あの大男すごいね！Mite, ano oootoko sugoi ne!Look, that big man is amazing!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当に背が高いね。Hontou ni se ga takai ne.He really is tall.
- 結衣 Yuiあんな大男に負ける気がしない。Anna oootoko ni makeru ki ga shinai.I don't feel like I could beat a big man like that.
- 大翔 Hirotoたぶん無理だろうね。Tabun muri darou ne.It would probably be impossible.
