巨大な
kyodai na
The English word "huge" can be translated into Japanese as 巨大な (kyodai na).
巨大な is used to describe something that is gigantic or enormous. It is typically applied to physical objects, structures or large entities such as cities or corporations. It is not used for abstract concepts, such as saying "a huge mistake."
Meaning: very large (adj)
Which one should you use?
While the word 大きい means "big," 巨大な carries a much stronger connotation of being "gigantic" or "monumental" in scale.
How does it change in a sentence?
巨大な is a na-adjective. When it modifies a noun, it must be followed by the particle な. If you use the word at the end of a sentence to say that something "is huge," you replace the な with だ or です.
How do you pronounce it?
kyodai na
Did you know?
- To describe a 'huge' amount of talent or skill, Japanese speakers use 桁外れ, which literally means the number is 'outside the digit' or off the charts.
- When something is so 'huge' that it feels overwhelming or terrifying, the phrase 途方もない is used to suggest the scale is beyond human comprehension.
- The word 巨大な is often used in the context of 怪獣 (kaiju) films like Godzilla, as these 'strange beasts' are defined by their monumental scale.
Examples in context
- ニューヨークは巨大な都市だ。New York is a huge city.This sentence uses 巨大な to describe a city.Tatoeba #198708 by bunbuku, translation #35900 by papabear
- あの巨大な建物はなんですか。What is that huge building?This sentence uses 巨大な to describe a building.Tatoeba #231093 by tommy__san, translation #68461 by CM
- トムは巨大な家に住んでいる。Tom lives in a huge house.This sentence uses 巨大な to describe a house.Tatoeba #10616300 by bunbuku, translation #2772964 by CK
- 日本には巨大な山がたくさんあります。Japan has many huge mountains.
- このハンバーガー、デカい！This burger is huge!
- あのゲームはデカすぎる！That game is way too big!
- 昨日買ったスマホ、メチャクチャデカいんだよ！The smartphone I bought yesterday is ridiculously huge!
- あの新しいビル、メチャクチャデカいらしいよ。I heard that new building is humongous.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a picture of a science museum.
- 美咲 Misakiこの博物館は巨大な展示物があるね。Kono hakubutsukan wa kyodai na tenjibutsu ga aru ne.This museum has huge exhibits, doesn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当だ。巨大な恐竜の骨があるよ。Hontou da. Kyodai na kyouryuu no hone ga aru yo.You're right. There are huge dinosaur bones.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太くんは、これに興味がある？Youta-kun wa, kore ni kyoumi ga aru?Youta, are you interested in this?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、すごく面白そうだね。Un, sugoku omoshirosou da ne.Yeah, it looks really interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “huge” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
