大丈夫
Chinese
big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor | husband; man; male | ||
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simp. and trad. (大丈夫) | 大 | 丈夫 |
Etymology 1
Attestable in pre-Qin texts.
Pronunciation
Noun
大丈夫
- real man; man of character
- 男人大丈夫,流血不流淚 [MSC, trad.]
- nánrén dàzhàngfū, liúxuè bù liúlèi [Pinyin]
- A true man bleeds but never sheds a tear
男人大丈夫,流血不流泪 [MSC, simp.]
- 居天下之廣居,立天下之正位,行天下之大道。得志與民由之,不得志獨行其道。富貴不能淫,貧賤不能移,威武不能屈。此之謂大丈夫。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
- Jū tiānxià zhī guǎngjū, lì tiānxià zhī zhèngwèi, xíng tiānxià zhī dàdào. Dézhì yǔ mín yóu zhī, bùdézhì dúxíng qí dào. Fùguì bùnéng yín, pínjiàn bùnéng yí, wēiwǔ bùnéng qū. Cǐ zhī wèi dàzhàngfū. [Pinyin]
- If you dwell in the great house of the world, are established in your correct position in the world, walk the great Path of the world; if you attain your ambitions for office, and then share your goodness with the people—or, not attaining your ambitions for office and walking alone on your own Path; if wealth and honor do not dissipate you, poverty and low status do not make you move from your principles; authority and might do not distort you: Then you can be called a “great man.”
居天下之广居,立天下之正位,行天下之大道。得志与民由之,不得志独行其道。富贵不能淫,贫贱不能移,威武不能屈。此之谓大丈夫。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]- 前識者,道之華而愚之始也。是以大丈夫處其厚,不處其薄;居其實,不居其華。故去彼取此。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Tao Te Ching, 4th century BCE
- Qiánshí zhě, dào zhī huá ér yú zhī shǐ yě. Shì yǐ dàzhàngfū chù qí hòu, bù chù qí bó; jū qí shí, bù jū qí huá. Gù qù bǐ qǔ cǐ. [Pinyin]
- Foreknowledge is the flower of Tao, but of ignorance the beginning. Therefore a great sportsman abides by the solid and dwells not in the superficial. He abides in the fruit and dwells not in the flower. Therefore he discards the latter and chooses the former.
前识者,道之华而愚之始也。是以大丈夫处其厚,不处其薄;居其实,不居其华。故去彼取此。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]- 所謂「大丈夫」者,謂其智之大也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE
- Suǒwèi “dàzhàngfū” zhě, wèi qí zhì zhī dà yě. [Pinyin]
- "A great sportsman" is so called because his wisdom is great.
所谓“大丈夫”者,谓其智之大也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Descendants
Sino-Xenic (大丈夫):
- → Japanese: 大丈夫 (daijōbu); 大丈夫 (daijōfu)
- → Korean: 대장부(大丈夫) (daejangbu)
- → Vietnamese: đại trượng phu (大丈夫)
See also
- 丈夫 (zhàngfū)
- 男子漢/男子汉 (nánzǐhàn)
Etymology 2
Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 大丈夫 (daijōbu), from Chinese 大丈夫.
Pronunciation
Adjective
大丈夫
- (Internet slang) all right; okay
- 這樣大丈夫?/这样大丈夫? ― Zhèyàng dàzhàngfū? ― Is this okay?
Japanese
FWOTD – 6 January 2023
Kanji in this term | ||
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大 | 丈 | 夫 |
だい Grade: 1 | じょう Grade: S | ぶ Grade: 4 |
goon |
Alternative forms
- (informal) だいじょぶ (daijobu)
Etymology
From Chinese 大丈夫, equivalent to 大 (dai-) + 丈夫 (jōbu).
Pronunciation
- (Tokyo) だいじょーぶ [dàíjóꜜòbù] (Nakadaka – [3])[1][2]
- IPA(key): [da̠iʑo̞ːbɯ̟ᵝ]
Noun
大丈夫 • (daijōbu) ←だいぢやうぶ (daidyaubu)?
(alternative reading hiragana だいじょうふ, rōmaji daijōfu, historical hiragana だいぢやうふ)
- (archaic) a man of class; a great man
Adjective
大丈夫 • (daijōbu) ←だいぢやうぶ (daidyaubu)? -na (adnominal 大丈夫な (daijōbu na), adverbial 大丈夫に (daijōbu ni))
- (of a person) all right; okay; in good health; uninjured
- 大丈夫ですか。
- Daijōbu desu ka.
- Are you all right?
- Synonym: 無事 (buji)
- 1996 February 20 [Feb 15 1988], Adachi, Mitsuru, “なにがなんだか 後編 [What’s What: Last Chapter]”, in SHORT PROGRAM [Short Program], volume 1 (fiction), 25th edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 283:
- 大丈夫受かります!
- Daijōbu ukarimasu!
- That’ll be all right. You’ll definitely pass!
- Honto ni⁉
- Really!?
- 大丈夫受かります!
- 大丈夫ですか。
- (of an object) all right, unbroken, still working
- certain, correct, certifiable
- (after the te form of a verb) indifferent, unconcerned
- 遅刻しても大丈夫だ。
- Chikoku shitemo daijōbu da.
- It's no big deal to be late.
- Synonyms: かまわない (kamawanai), 差し支えない (sashitsukaenai)
- 遅刻しても大丈夫だ。
- (in response to an offer) no thank you
- レジ袋は大丈夫です。
- Rejibukuro wa daijōbu desu.
- I am fine without a plastic bag.
- Synonyms: いい (ii), 結構 (kekkou), 要らない (iranai)
- レジ袋は大丈夫です。
Usage notes
- In strict terms, declining an offer with 大丈夫 is considered ambiguous. Nonetheless, the usage has become widespread in modern day Japan.
Descendants
- → Yonaguni: 大丈夫 (daidubu)
- → Chinese: 大丈夫
References
- 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
- 2002, Yasuo Kitahara, 明鏡国語辞典 (Meikyō Kokugo Jiten), First Edition (in Japanese), Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
Korean
Etymology
Hanja in this term | ||
---|---|---|
大 | 丈 | 夫 |
Noun
大丈夫 • (daejangbu) (hangeul 대장부)
- Hanja form? of 대장부 (“real man”).
Vietnamese
Hán tự in this term | ||
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大 | 丈 | 夫 |
Noun
大丈夫
- chữ Hán form of đại trượng phu (“great man”).
Yonaguni
Etymology
From Japanese 大丈夫 (だいじょうぶ, daijōbu), from Chinese 大丈夫.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /daidubu/
Adjective
大丈夫 (hiragana だいどぅぶ, romaji daidubu)
- all right
- okay