大きな夢を持とう
ōkina yume o motō
To say "dream big" in Japanese, you use 大きな夢を持とう (ōkina yume o motō).
This is an encouraging phrase used to tell someone to set ambitious goals for their future. Depending on the nuance you want to convey, you can also use more motivational variations such as 強く夢を描いてください or 広い視野で夢を追いかけてください.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 大きな夢を持とう literally means "Let's hold a big dream".
Which one should you use?
While the English phrase can function as a direct command, the default Japanese form 大きな夢を持とう acts as a suggestion or an invitation to dream big. For a more poetic or literary tone, you can use 大きな夢を抱こう, which uses a verb implying the "embracing" of a dream rather than just holding one.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the default form 大きな夢を持とう, the verb ending -tō (持とう) is the volitional form, which functions as an encouraging "let's" or "let us". If you use the imperative form 大きな夢を持て, it functions as a direct command, though this is much harsher than the default form.
How do you pronounce it?
ōkina yume o motō
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, expressing a 'big dream' publicly can sometimes be seen as 生意気 or 'cheeky' depending on the social hierarchy. Because of this, the volitional 'let's' form is preferred over a command to keep the encouragement humble.
- The word 描く used in motivational variations means 'to draw' or 'to paint'. This implies that dreaming big is an active process of visualizing a picture of the future rather than just wishing for it.
- The verb 抱く used in the poetic version of the phrase literally means 'to hug' or 'to embrace'. Using this verb suggests that the dream is something precious that the person is holding close to their chest.
Examples in context
- もっと大きな夢を持とう。motto ookina yume o motou.Let's dream bigger.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their future careers.
- 陽葵 Himari健太は将来、何をしたいの？Kenta wa shourai, nani o shitai no?Kenta, what do you want to do in the future?
- 健太 Kentaまだ迷っているけど、何か挑戦したい。mada mayotte iru kedo, nanika chousen shitai.I'm still undecided, but I want to try something.
- 陽葵 Himariいいよ！一緒に大きな夢を持とう。ii yo! issho ni ookina yume o motou.That's great! Let's dream big together.
- 健太 Kentaそうだね。頑張ってみるよ！sou da ne. ganbatte miru yo!You're right. I'll give it my best!
