Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 大方は | ōkata wa | |
| 大体は | daitai wa | |
| たいてい | taitei | [ta̠ite̞ː] (narrow) |
What does it mean word for word?
The word 大方は is based on 大方 (ōkata), which literally means "the large part" or "the main part."
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on what aspect of "mostly" you wish to emphasize. たいてい is used when "mostly" refers to frequency or a general rule, meaning "usually" or "most of the time." 大体は is often used to mean "mostly" in the sense of "approximately" or "roughly" regarding quantities or degrees.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
大方は carries a more formal or literary tone compared to the more conversational 大体は. In very informal settings, the word だいたい is a versatile option meaning "more or less" or "approximately."
How does it change in a sentence?
In the forms 大方は and 大体は, the particle は (wa) functions as a topic marker, often used to emphasize that "as far as the main part is concerned, [the rest is…]".
How do you pronounce it?
ōkata wa
Did you know?
- While だいたい (daitai) usually means 'mostly', when used as a question or exclamation in an argument, it can mean 'What in the world' or 'Wait a minute', acting as a way to challenge a premise.
- The kanji for 大体 (daitai) literally means 'big body', treating the 'bulk' of a subject as its physical torso.
- Writing たいてい (taitei) in hiragana instead of the kanji 大抵 is a common stylistic choice used to make the tone of the sentence feel softer.
Examples in context
- 成功はたいてい努力次第だ。Success depends mostly on effort.This sentence shows how to use たいてい to express that success is usually dependent on effort.Tatoeba #143246 by mookeee, translation #271322 by CK
- 彼はほとんど毎日公園で散歩します。He goes for a walk in the park almost every day.
- 彼の計画は大部分にわたって成功しました。His plan was mostly successful.
- 会議は大部分にわたって意義深いものでした。The meeting was meaningful for the most part.
- 映画はだいたい週末に見ます。I mostly watch movies on weekends.
- 野菜はだいたい食べますが、果物はあまり食べません。I mostly eat vegetables, but I don't eat much fruit.
- 彼はオンラインで主に仕事をしています。He mostly works online.
- 私は主に日本語を勉強しています。I am mostly studying Japanese.
- 計画は大方は決まりました。Keikaku wa oohata wa kimarimashita.The plan is mostly decided.
- 話の大方は理解できました。Hanashi no oohata wa rikai dekimashita.I understood for the most part what you said.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are discussing the results of a survey.
- 蓮 Renアンケートの結果はどうだった？Ankēto no kekka wa dō datta?How were the survey results?
- 陽葵 Himari大方は満足しているみたいだよ。Ōkata wa manzoku shite iru mitai da yo.Mostly, it seems they are satisfied.
- 蓮 Renそれはよかったね。Sore wa yokatta ne.That's good to hear.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、ほぼ完璧な結果だったよ。Un, hobo kanpeki na kekka datta yo.Yeah, the results were almost perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mostly” translations and entries たいてい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
