Word: 大 (dà, dài)

有一只大苍蝇在天花板上。

Yǒu yìzhī dà cāngying zài tiānhuābǎn shàng.

There's a big fly on the ceiling.

有些人永远也长不大。

Yǒuxiē rén yǒngyuǎn yě zhǎng bú dà.

Some people never grow up.

有大一点的尺码吗？

Yǒu dà yìdiǎn de chǐmǎ ma?

Do you have a bigger size?

有没有比这些稍微大一点的？

Yǒuméiyǒu bǐ zhèxiē shāowēi dà yìdiǎn de?

Do you have one a little bigger than these?

木匠拉大锯，有来有去

mùjiàng lā dà jù, yǒu lái yǒu qù

carpenters pulling a big saw: there's coming and going

来好好利用大周末吧。

Lái hǎohǎo lìyòng dà zhōumò ba.

Let's take advantage of the long weekend.

林子大了，什么鸟儿都有

línzi dàle, shénme niǎor dōu yǒu

when the forest is big, every kind of bird is there

柴多火焰高，人多声势大

chái duō huǒyàn gāo, rén duō shēngshì dà

more firewood, higher the flames; more people, greater the force

树大有枯枝

shù dà yǒu kūzhī

a big tree has dead branches

树大阴凉大

shù dà yīnliáng dà

a big tree gives big shade

树大阴凉小，照映不到

shù dà yīnliáng xiǎo, zhàoyìng búdào

a big tree, a small patch of shade: its shade can't cover everything

楼下的噪声太大，我睡不着。

Lóuxià de zàoshēng tài dà, wǒ shuì bù zháo.

The noise downstairs is so loud that I can't sleep.

武大郎卖棉花，人弱货软

wǔ dà láng mài miánhua, rén ruò huò ruǎn

Wu Dalang selling cotton: the man is weak and the goods are soft

武大郎卖烧饼，迟出早归

wǔ dà láng mài shāobing, chí chū zǎo guī

Wu Dalang selling sesame cakes: goes out late and comes home early

武大郎开店，个子比他高的别进来

wǔ dà láng kāidiàn, gèzi bǐ tā gāo de bié jìnlái

Wu Dalang opens a shop: anyone taller than him need not come in

武大郎战李逵，差着好大一截儿

wǔ dà láng zhàn Lǐ Kuí, chàzhe hǎo dà yìjié ér

Wu Dalang fighting Li Kui: a big gap between them

武大郎打虎，没长下那个拳头

wǔ dà láng dǎ hǔ, méi zhǎng xià nàge quántou

Wu Dalang fighting a tiger: he hasn't grown that kind of fist

武大郎攀杠子，上下够不着

wǔ dà láng pān gàngzi, shàngxià gòubùzháo

Wu Dalang grabbing a bar: can't reach up or down

武大郎放风筝，出手不高

wǔ dà láng fàng fēngzheng, chūshǒu bù gāo

Wu Dalang flying a kite: his hands don't go up high

武大郎登梯子，想高人一头

wǔ dà láng dēng tīzi, xiǎng gāo rén yìtóu

Wu Dalang climbing a ladder: wanting to be a head taller than others

武汉是华中最大的城市。

Wǔhàn shì Huázhōng zuì dà de chéngshì.

Wuhan is the largest city in Central China.

母亲养大我们，是何等辛苦啊！

Mǔqīn yǎng dà wǒmen, shì héděng xīnkǔ a!

How hard it was for Mother to raise us!

毛毛细雨湿衣裳，小事不防上大当

Máomao xìyǔ shī yīshang, xiǎoshì bù fáng shàng dà dāng

drizzle soaks your clothes; ignore small things and you are badly fooled

毛驴钉马掌，小蹄大做

máolǘ dìngmǎzhǎng, xiǎo tí dà zuò

a donkey shod with horseshoes: small hoof (issue), big work (fuss)

气大伤神，食多伤身

qì dà shāngshén, shí duō shāngshēn

great anger harms the spirit, much eating harms the body

气球胀得太大，会破的。

Qìqiú zhàng de tài dà, huì pò de.

If the balloon swells too much, it will burst.

水大漫不过鸭子去

shuǐ dà màn búguò yāzi qù

however high the water, it won't rise over the duck

水清无大鱼

shuǐ qīng wú dà yú

where the water is clear there are no big fish

水的密度比油大。

Shuǐ de mìdù bǐ yóu dà.

Water is denser than oil.

水结成冰以后，体积会变大。

Shuǐ jiéchéng bīng yǐhòu, tǐjī huì biàn dà.

After water freezes into ice, its volume gets larger.

水里的物体看起来比较大。

Shuǐ lǐ de wùtǐ kànqǐlai bǐjiào dà.

Objects in the water look bigger.

求来雨,下不大

qiú lái yǔ,xià bú dà

rain that is begged for doesn't fall heavily

汉语方言间的发音区别很大。

Hànyǔ fāngyán jiān de fāyīn qūbié hěn dà.

There are great differences in pronunciation between different Chinese dialects.

池里的鱼虾不知道大海大，笼里的鸡鸭不知道天空宽

Chí lǐ de yúxiā bù zhīdào dàhǎi dà, lóng lǐ de jī yā bù zhīdào tiānkōng kuān

fish and shrimp in a pond don't know how big the sea is; chickens and ducks in a coop don't know how wide the sky is

沙漠里昼夜温差很大。

Shāmò lǐ zhòuyè wēnchà hěn dà.

In the desert, the temperature difference between day and night is huge.

没有愿望是最大的障碍。

Méiyǒu yuànwàng shì zuì dà de zhàng'ài.

Having no will is the worst handicap.

没有比这只还大的狗了。

Méiyǒu bǐ zhè zhǐ hái dà de gǒu le.

No other dog is bigger than this.

河中间有一个很大的旋涡。

Hé zhōngjiān yǒu yí gè hěn dà de xuánwō.

There is a very large whirlpool in the middle of the river.

治愈的希望有多大？

Zhìyù de xīwàng yǒu duō dà?

What hope is there of a cure?

法场上的麻雀,胆子吓大了

fǎchǎng shàng de máquè,dǎnzi xià dàle

a sparrow at the execution ground: its courage grew from being frightened

波士顿这里雾很大。

Bōshìdùn zhèlǐ wù hěn dà.

It's foggy here in Boston.

洞庭湖的麻雀，见过大风浪

Dòngtínghú de máquè, jiànguo dà fēnglàng

a sparrow of Lake Dongting: has seen great wind and waves

洪水造成了很大的损害。

Hóngshuǐ zàochéngle hěn dà de sǔnhài.

The flood caused a lot of damage.

海水的浮力比河水大吗？

Hǎishuǐ de fúlì bǐ héshuǐ dà ma?

Is the buoyancy of sea water greater than that of river water?

海滨的风很大，记得带外套。

Hǎibīn de fēng hěn dà, jìde dài wàitào.

It's very windy at the shore, so remember to bring a jacket.

海里有一条大鲸。

Hǎilǐ yǒu yìtiáo dà jīng.

There is a big whale in the sea.

海里有一条很大的鲨鱼。

Hǎilǐ yǒu yìtiáo hěn dà de shāyú.

There is a very big shark in the sea.

渔民今天捕获了很多大鱼。

Yúmín jīntiān bǔhuòle hěn duō dà yú.

The fishermen caught a lot of big fish today.

游行的声势越来越大。

Yóuxíng de shēngshì yuèláiyuè dà.

The momentum of the march kept growing.

湖水碧绿，像一块大宝石。

Hú shuǐ bìlǜ, xiàng yíkuài dà bǎoshí.

The lake is deep green, like a giant gemstone.

滑完雪后，我发现我食欲大增。

Huá wán xuě hòu, wǒ fāxiàn wǒ shíyù dà zēng.

After skiing, I find that I have a voracious appetite.

瀑布从山上冲下来，气势很大。

Pùbù cóng shānshàng chōng xiàlai, qìshì hěn dà.

The waterfall rushes down the mountain with great grandeur.

火大无湿柴

huǒ dà wú shī chái

when the fire is big, there is no wet firewood

火灾后，财物损失很大。

Huǒzāi hòu, cáiwù sǔnshī hěn dà.

After the fire, the property losses were heavy.

火车穿越了一片大沙漠。

Huǒchē chuānyuèle yípiàn dà shāmò.

The train crossed a vast desert.

炒菜时火焰不要开得太大。

Chǎocài shí huǒyàn búyào kāi de tài dà.

Don't make the flame too big when stir-frying.

烂麻拧成绳,力量大千斤

làn má níng chéng shéng,lìliang dà qiānjīn

Rotten hemp twisted into rope has the strength of a thousand jin

烟太大了，呛得我直咳嗽。

Yān tài dàle, qiàng de wǒ zhí késou.

The smoke was so thick that it made me cough and cough.

烟太大了，熏得我直流眼泪。

Yān tài dàle, xūn de wǒ zhíliú yǎnlèi.

The smoke was so thick it stung my eyes and made them water.

烟袋锅儿里蒸包子,有汽也不大

yāndàiguō ér lǐ zhēng bāozi,yǒu qì yě bú dà

steaming buns in a pipe bowl: even if there's steam, it's not much

烹调海鲜时，火不能太大。

Pēngtiáo hǎixiān shí, huǒ bùnéng tài dà.

When cooking seafood, the heat can't be too high.

燕子不大飞千里

yànzi bú dà fēi qiānlǐ

though the swallow is small, it flies a thousand miles

爱和被爱是最大的幸福。

Ài hé bèi ài shì zuì dà de xìngfú.

To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness.

爱和被爱是生活中最大的幸福。

Ài hé bèi ài shì shēnghuó zhōng zuì dà de xìngfú.

It is the greatest happiness in life to love and to be loved.

爷儿俩赶集,一大一小

yé'érliǎ gǎnjí,yí dà yìxiǎo

father and son go to market: one big, one small

牛大压不死虱子

niú dà yā bù sǐ shīzi

however big the ox, it can't crush a louse to death

牡丹的花很大，颜色也很多。

Mǔdan de huā hěn dà, yánsè yě hěn duō.

Tree peonies have big flowers and come in many colours.

猛张飞钓不到大鱼

měng Zhāng Fēi diào búdào dà yú

fierce Zhang Fei can't catch big fish

玉皇大帝拜财神，有钱的大三辈

Yùhuáng Dàdì bài cáishén, yǒuqián de dà sānbèi

the Jade Emperor bows to the God of Wealth: the rich are three generations senior

现代传媒的影响越来越大。

Xiàndài chuánméi de yǐngxiǎng yuèláiyuè dà.

The influence of modern media keeps growing.

现在市场上的竞争很大。

Xiànzài shìchǎng shàng de jìngzhēng hěn dà.

Competition in the market is fierce right now.

现在风很大。

Xiànzài fēng hěn dà.

It's now windy.

电影院门口站了一大群人。

Diànyǐngyuàn ménkǒu zhànle yí dà qún rén.

A crowd of people were standing at the entrance to the theatre.

电线太旧是个很大的隐患。

Diànxiàn tài jiù shì gè hěn dà de yǐnhuàn.

Wiring that is too old is a big hidden danger.

电线杆子绑鸡毛，好大的掸子

diànxiàngān zǐ bǎng jīmáo, hǎo dà de dǎnzi

tying chicken feathers to a telephone pole: what a big duster

男人工作时受伤机率比女人的大。

Nánrén gōngzuò shí shòushāng jīlǜ bǐ nǚrén de dà.

Men are injured at work more often than women.

癞蛤蟆戴礼帽,充大嘴说客

làiháma dài lǐmào,chōng dà zuǐ shuōkè

A toad wearing a top hat: posing as a big-mouthed persuader

癞蛤蟆打哈欠,好大的口气

làiháma dǎhāqian,hǎo dà de kǒuqì

A toad yawning: what a big breath

盐店掌柜的,大咸人

yándiàn zhǎngguìde,dà Xián rén

a salt-shop owner: a big "xián" man (salty / idle)

直树年纪跟香织一样大。

Zhí shù niánjì gēn xiāng zhī yíyàng dà.

Naoki is as old as Kaori.

睁大你的眼睛。

Zhēng dà nǐ de yǎnjing.

Keep your eyes open.

睁大你的眼睛！

Zhēng dà nǐ de yǎnjing!

Keep your eyes wide open!

祖父的年龄比我大五倍。

Zǔfù de niánlíng bǐ wǒ dà wǔ bèi.

My grandfather is five times as old as I am.

秋天风很大。

Qiūtiān fēng hěn dà.

It's windy in the autumn.

窝窝头翻个儿，显大眼儿

wōwotóu fāngèr, xiǎn dà yǎn ér

turn a cornmeal cone over: it shows its big hole

竞争太大，生意不好做。

Jìngzhēng tài dà, shēngyi bù hǎo zuò.

The competition is too tough, and business is hard to do.

粤语的发音和普通话差别很大。

Yuèyǔ de fāyīn hé pǔtōnghuà chābié hěn dà.

The pronunciation of Cantonese is very different from Mandarin.

细心没大错

xìxīn méi dà cuò

be careful and there are no big mistakes

网络购物对商店的冲击很大。

Wǎngluò gòuwù duì shāngdiàn de chōngjī hěn dà.

Online shopping has had a big impact on stores.

美国是一个大的国家。

Měiguó shì yí gè dà de guójiā.

The United States is a large country.

老大比老二大三岁。

Lǎodà bǐ lǎo'èr dà sān suì.

The eldest is three years older than the second child.

老子是一位影响很大的思想家。

Lǎozi shì yí wèi yǐngxiǎng hěn dà de sīxiǎngjiā.

Laozi was a very influential thinker.

老年人的比重越来越大。

Lǎoniánrén de bǐzhòng yuèláiyuè dà.

The proportion of elderly people keeps growing.

老板赏了他一个大红包。

Lǎobǎn shǎngle tā yí gè dà hóngbāo.

The boss rewarded him with a big red envelope.

老鼠尾巴,发不粗长不大

lǎoshǔwěiba,fā bù cū zhǎng bú dà

a mouse's tail: can't grow thick or big

老鼠尾巴熬汤,油水不大

lǎoshǔwěiba áotāng,yóushuǐ bú dà

boiling a mouse's tail for soup: not much grease

老鼠最大的天敌是猫。

Lǎoshǔ zuì dà de tiāndí shì māo.

The mouse's biggest natural enemy is the cat.

老鼠骑在牛背上,大的没有小的能

lǎoshǔ qí zài niú bèi shang,dà de méiyǒu xiǎo de néng

a mouse riding on an ox's back: the big one isn't as capable as the small

肥皂泡,吹得再大也要破

féizàopào,chuī de zài dà yě yào pò

a soap bubble: however big you blow it, it will burst

舌头咽进肚子里，大张嘴没个说的

shétou yàn jìn dǔzi lǐ, dà zhāngzuǐ méi ge shuō de

the tongue swallowed into the belly: mouth wide open with nothing to say