plump, thick, big around
On'yomi (音読み)
- タイ
- タ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- ふと.い
- ふと.る
About this kanji
The kanji 太 (tai) primarily means "big around" or "thick." It is often used as an adjective, describing something that is plump or wide. For example, in the compound 太陽 (taiyou), it means "sun," evoking the image of a bright, round light in the sky. Another example is 皇太子 (koutaishi), which refers to a "crown prince," indicating someone destined for a large role. Additionally, 太平洋 (taiheiyou) means "Pacific Ocean," a vast body of water. Note that while 太 describes largeness in various contexts, it can also imply abundance or richness, making it a versatile kanji in both everyday speech and more formal settings.
Example sentences
彼は太陽のように明るい。
He is bright like the sun.
Meanings across languages
- English
- plump, thick, big around
- Tiếng Việt
- mập mạp
- 日本語
- 太い
- 한국어
- 뚱뚱한
- 中文
- 胖
- id
- gemuk
- th
- อ้วน
- es
- gordo
- fr
- épaissir
- de
- dick
- pt
- gordo
Common compounds
- 太陽たいようSun
- 皇太子こうたいしcrown prince
- 太平洋たいへいようPacific Ocean
- 太平洋戦争たいへいようせんそうPacific War (1941-1945)
- 丸太まるたlog, dace (Tribolodon hakonensis), test subject (of human experiments performed by Unit 731 during WWII)
- 太いふといfat, thick, deep (of a voice)
- 太るふとるto put on weight, to gain weight, to grow fat
- 太鼓たいこdrum
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