JLPT N5 Vocabulary – Difference between “大きい” and “大きな”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “大きい” and “大きな”
2. 大きい
3. 大きな
4. 3 Differences
5. Let’s Compare
6. Summary
7. Quiz
8. Similar Articles
9. Comment
Q: Are “大きい” and “大きな “the same？
A: There are times when these two have little difference in meaning, and times when they do.
大きい (JLPT N5)
[Usage]
It is used to express concrete size. It can be used as a predicate for a noun.
[Rules]
Nは大きい／大きくない／大きかった／大きくなかった
大きいNだ
[Examples]
あの犬はとても大きいです。
That dog is very big.
昨日食べたステーキはとても大きかったです。
The steak I ate yesterday was very big.
このりんごはあまり大きくないです。
This apple is not very big.
たんじょう日に大きいケーキを食べました。
I ate a big cake on my birthday.
大きな (JLPT N5)
[Usage]
It is used to express abstract size. It modifies nouns but cannot be used as a predicate.
[Rule]
大きなN
*It can not be conjugated
[Examples]
あそこに大きな犬がいます。
There is a big dog over there.
いつか大きな家に住みたいです。
I want to live in a big house someday.
わたしは大きな夢を持っています。
I have a big dream.
マリアさんは大きな声で笑いました。
Maria laughed in a loud voice.
3 Differences
There are three main differences.
① “大きい” has tense conjugation, but “大きな” does not.
[Examples]
あの犬はとても大きいです。
That dog is very big.
あの犬は大きくないです。
That dog is not big.
昨日行った公園は大きかったです。
The park I went to yesterday was big.
昨日行った公園は大きくなかったです。
The park I went to yesterday was not big.
② “大きい” can be used as a predicate, but “大きな” cannot.
[Examples]
× あの犬は大きなです。
◯ あの犬は大きいです。（述語)
That dog is big. (Predicate)
③ Both “大きい” and “大きな” can modify nouns.
Either can be used for something visual.
[Examples]
◯ 三重県に大きい神社があります。
◯ 三重県に大きな神社があります。
There is a big shrine in Mie Prefecture.
However, when expressing something abstract that cannot be seen, “大きな” is used.
[Examples]
彼女には大きな夢があります。
She has a big dream.
台風による大きな被害は深刻です。
The large damage caused by the typhoon is severe.
彼の大きな挑戦は多くの人に勇気を与えました。
His big challenge gave courage to many people.
Let’s Compare
Now, let’s consider some finer differences.
“大きい” expresses something concrete, while “大きな” conveys an abstract sense. Therefore, in the following cases, using “大きな” can convey the message to the listener in a slightly softer manner.
[Examples]
すみませんが、あまり大きい声で話さないでください。
すみませんが、あまり大きな声で話さないでください。
Excuse me, but please don’t speak in such a loud voice.
Additionally, “大きい” represents physical size, while “大きな” expresses a sensory size. Considering this point, how do you perceive the differences when looking at the following examples?
[Examples]
①たしかあそこに大きい川があるんですよ。
②たしかあそこに大きな川があるんですよ。
I’m pretty sure there’s a big river over there.
⇒ In case ①, the speaker is referring to the concrete and physical size of the river, while in case ②, the speaker is talking about the impression or sensory size of the river.
In the following cases, which one you use will depend on how you want to convey the “voice” or “the situation.”
[Examples]
①スピーチでの彼女は大きい声は多くの人に届きました。
Her loud voice during the speech reached many people.
②スピーチでの彼女は大きな声は多くの人に届きました。
Her strong voice during the speech reached many people.
⇒ In case ①, it refers to the volume of the voice. It indicates that the loudness of the voice was sufficient for many people to hear it without any issues.
On the other hand, case ②, includes abstract aspects such as “presence” or “the intention to convey something from the heart.” It conveys the nuance that these aspects reached many people’s hearts.
Summary
[大きい]
- ① It has tense conjugation.
- ② It can modify nouns and be used as a predicate.
- ③ It represents visual and physical size.
[大きな]
- ① It does not have tense conjugation.
- ② It can modify nouns but cannot be used as a predicate.
- ③ It represents abstract and sensory size.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. 大きい
そのバッグ、大きいしかっこいいね。
That bag is big and cool.
*Since it’s used as a predicate, “大きい” is correct.
A. 大きな
この物語は大きな感動を与えました。
This story gave a great impression.
*Since “感動” (impression) is abstract, “大きな” is appropriate.
A. どちらでもいい
公園に大きい木があります。
公園に大きな木があります。
There is a big tree in the park.
*Since it modifies a noun, both are correct.
A. 大きかった
昨日食べたケーキはとても大きかったです。
The cake I ate yesterday was very big.
*Since it’s used as an adjective, “大きかった” is correct.
とてもいい記事です！
ありがとうございます：）また見に来てくださいね！
This was such an insightful read! I really appreciate how clearly everything was explained.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad you found it helpful. More content is on the way, so stay tuned!
I finally understand how to use them properly. Great examples!
Happy to hear that! We’ll keep adding more examples in future posts too.
This was really helpful—thanks for the clear explanation!
Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂
Great explanation!
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!
So many small differences… Japanese, why do you do this to me?😂😂
Totally get where you’re coming from 😂 But once you get used to it, those small differences start to make sense!
I always thought “大きな” was just a more formal way of saying “大きい,” but it turns out they’re used differently. Thanks for the clear explanation!
You’re very welcome! A lot of learners think the same, so we’re glad this article helped clarify the difference.
Very helpful post! Thanks!
Thank you! We believe mastering these subtle points really boosts confidence in real conversations:)
I wasn’t aware of these so this was eye-opening. Appreciate the examples!
We’re so glad to hear that! Thanks for reading!
Like your articles very much👍👍👍
Thank you so much! I’m really glad to hear that you enjoy the articles. More coming soon, so stay tuned!
I thought 大きな was a なadjective, but I see now that I was wrong. Thanks for the helpful explanation!
You’re very welcome! It’s a common point of confusion, so you’re definitely not alone. Glad the tips helped!
私はN2を合格しましたけれど、大きいと大きなの違いはよく知らなかったんですね。文の中でどう使うかよく理解できました。ありがとう先生！
すばらしいですね、N2合格おめでとうございます！これからも一緒にがんばりましょう！
いいのテクストです！
ありがとうございます！
Thanks for the useful info!
Thank you:)
おっきな＝大きなですか？
「おっきな」は「大きな」と同じ意味ですが、話し言葉で使う表現です。子どもや友だちとの会話では使えますが、仕事や作文では「大きな」を使うのがふつうです。場面に合わせて使い分けましょう。
Why does Japanese have so many exceptions…
I get how you feel! These exceptions can be tricky, but they also make the language rich and interesting!
Great job!
Thank you:)
Like it very much!
Thank you:)
「大きな」のように活用しない形容詞はほかにもありますか？
はい、あります。代表的なのは「小さな」です。
「大きな」と同じように名詞を修飾することはできますが、述語としては使えず、活用もしません。
例えば、
◯ 小さな町
✕ この町は小さなです
◯ この町は小さいです
このように「大きな」と「小さな」はペアとして覚えると分かりやすいですよ。
Like it!
Thank you:)
大きなガンダム！😆
正しい使い方です👍