大

Big Radical (大)

dà · 3 strokes

The big radical (大) is a frequently seen radical in Chinese. It appears in 25 characters related to big and associated concepts. 25 characters: 3 in HSK 1, 2 in HSK 2, 1 in HSK 3, 4 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 7 in HSK 6, 7 in HSK 7-9. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system. Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus).

Radical vs. Component: 大 is also a character component. As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For component-specific details including role analysis and position patterns, see the Big Component (大) page.

Big Radical at a Glance

Stroke Count3
Total Characters25
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 6 (7 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes7
ClassificationKangxi Radicals

All Big Radical Characters

HSK 1 (3 characters)

大dàbig天tiānday太tàihighest

HSK 2 (2 characters)

头tóuhead夫fūhusband

HSK 3 (1 characters)

奇qístrange

HSK 4 (4 characters)

失shīto lose套tàoto cover奋fènto exert oneself (bound form)奖jiǎngprize

HSK 5 (1 characters)

奈nàiused in expressions that convey frustration and futility, such as 無奈|无奈 and 莫可奈何|莫可奈何 (literary)

HSK 6 (7 characters)

夹jiāto press from either side央yāngcenter奔bēnto hurry夺duóto seize奉fèngto offer (tribute)奏zòuto play music夸kuāto boast

HSK 7-9 (7 characters)

奥ào(bound form) Austria (abbr. for 奧地利|奥地利)奠diànto fix契qìto carve奢shēextravagant夷yínon-Han people, esp. to the East of China夯bènvariant of 笨[ben4]奚xīsurname Xi

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the big radical mean in Chinese characters?
The big radical (大) signals a semantic connection to big-related concepts. When you see 大 in a character, it typically indicates the character's meaning involves big or associated ideas. With 25 characters using this radical, it is one of the more productive radicals in Chinese. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system, the traditional standard for organizing Chinese characters.
How many characters use the big radical?
There are 25 characters with the big radical (大) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 3 in HSK 1, 2 in HSK 2, 1 in HSK 3, 4 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 7 in HSK 6, 7 in HSK 7-9. The distribution across HSK levels reflects how fundamental big-related concepts are at each stage of Mandarin learning.
What are the most common big radical characters?
By frequency of use, the most common characters with the big radical (大) are: 大 (dà, "big"), 天 (tiān, "day"), 头 (tóu, "head"), 太 (tài, "highest"), 失 (shī, "to lose"). These high-frequency characters are among the first big-related characters most learners encounter.
What HSK levels include big radical characters?
Characters with the big radical (大) appear across 7 HSK levels: 3 in HSK 1, 2 in HSK 2, 1 in HSK 3, 4 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 7 in HSK 6, 7 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 6 with 7 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common big-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Radical classifications on this page follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首), the standard set of 214 radicals codified in the Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, 1716). Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision.