寛大
kandai[kã̠nda̠i]
The English word "generous" can be translated into Japanese using several forms, most commonly 寛大 (kandai). Wiktionary also lists 気の大きい (ki no ōkii) and 気前の良い (kimae no yoi).
Meaning: willing to give and share unsparingly (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 寛大 | kandai | [kã̠nda̠i] (narrow) |
| 気の大きい | ki no ōkii | |
| 気前の良い | kimae no yoi |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 気の大きい is composed of 気 (spirit/mind) and 大きい (large/big). The phrase 気前の良い is composed of 気前 (disposition toward spending) and 良い (good).
Which one should you use?
Use 寛大 to describe a person's character as being forgiving, magnanimous or lenient toward others' mistakes. Use 気の大きい to describe someone who is big-hearted or has a large-scale way of thinking/acting. Use 気前の良い when referring to someone who is good-natured about spending.
How do you pronounce it?
kandai
When do people say it?
The phrase Kodomo no youna kokoro means "a heart like that of a child" and can describe someone who is generous and innocent.
Did you know?
- The concept of generosity in Japan is often tied to omotenashi, where the 'generosity' is not about giving money but about anticipating a guest's needs before they are expressed.
- A person who is 気の大きい is often contrasted with someone who is 気が小さい, meaning 'small-spirited' or timid, regardless of how much money they have.
- While 'generous' in English can describe a large portion of food, in Japanese, you would rarely use these 'spirit' based terms for food portions, opting instead for terms related to volume.
Examples in context
- 彼は生来寛大な人だ。He is by nature a generous person.This sentence is useful for describing someone who is naturally a generous person using 寛大.Tatoeba #103177 by mookeee, translation #300444 by CM
- 「もう俺たちの邪魔をしないなら、今までのことは水に流してやってもいいけど？」「やけに寛大なんだな・・・」"If you don't get in our way any more, I could see my way to letting bygones be bygones." "That's remarkably generous …"This sentence shows a conversational reaction to someone being remarkably generous using 寛大.Tatoeba #75428 by fcbond, translation #328290 by fcbond
- その寄付は非常に厚意のあるものです。That donation is a very generous one.
- 君は本当に優しくて、私たちにいつも物をあげてくれるね。You are truly kind and always give things to us.
- 彼はいつもごちそうしてくれるから、本当にありがたいよね。He always treats us to meals, so I'm really grateful.
- 彼女は子供のような心を持っているから、とても寛大だ。She is very generous because she has a childlike heart.
- ええ、あの人はほんまに太っ腹で、いろいろな人にお金を貸してくれる。Yeah, that person is really generous and lends money to various people.
- 彼は間違いに対してとても寛大だ。Kare wa machigai ni taishite totemo kandaida.He is very generous regarding mistakes.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hina and Ren are talking about their boss's reaction to a mistake.
- 陽葵 Himari部長、怒らなかったね。Buchou, okoranakatta ne.The manager didn't get angry, did he?
- 蓮 Renうん、本当に寛大な人だと思うよ。Un, hontou ni kandai na hito da to omou yo.Yeah, I think he's a truly generous person.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんに習ったのかな。Ren-san ni naratta no kana.I wonder if he learned that from you, Ren.
- 蓮 Renいや、僕はそんなに寛大じゃないよ。Iya, boku wa sonna ni kandai janai yo.No, I'm not that generous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “generous” translations and entries 寛大, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
