Meaning

Primary

Generally

Alternatives

About, General, Gist

Word Type

adverb, noun, の adjective

Explanation

If all you can see is the big body of something, then you'll only get a general idea of what it is. You'll be able to say that it's generally a certain way, but that's about all. You'll get the gist, but no more.

Reading

だいたい
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. Since has two on'yomi readings, here's a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:

Generally, it's a bad idea to dye your ties (だいたい). The tie police isn't a big fan of it, and you wouldn't wanna get arrested!

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 大体のイメージ

    a rough image

    大体の人

    most people

Context Sentences

大体は正しいです。

It's mostly correct.

右手と左手の大きさは大体同じです。

Right and left hands are about the same size.

大体三日かかります。

It takes about three days.

Kanji Composition