How do you use "Big deal" in a sentence?

Getting promoted is a really big deal — congratulations! You cleaned your room? Big deal, you should have done that weeks ago. What's the big deal? It's just a little rain.

Big deal

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: Something important or impressive; also used sarcastically to mean 'so what?'

重要或了不起的事；也用于讽刺，意为'那又怎样？'

Algo importante o impresionante; también se usa con sarcasmo para decir '¿y qué?'.

重要なこと、すごいこと。また皮肉を込めて「だから何？」という意味でも使う。

중요한 것, 대단한 것. 또한 비꼬는 의미로 '그래서 뭐?'라는 뜻으로도 사용.

'Big deal' has both sincere and sarcastic uses. Sincerely, it describes something important ('Getting into Harvard is a big deal'). Sarcastically, it dismisses something as unimpressive ('So you ran a mile. Big deal'). The sarcastic use is often recognized by a flat, unimpressed tone. 'What's the big deal?' means 'why is this important?'

'Big deal'既有真诚的用法也有讽刺的用法。真诚地说，它形容重要的事（'Getting into Harvard is a big deal'）。讽刺地说，它表示对某事不以为然（'So you ran a mile. Big deal'）。讽刺用法通常可以通过平淡、不屑的语气识别出来。'What's the big deal?'意思是'这有什么大不了的？'

'Big deal' tiene usos tanto sinceros como sarcásticos. De forma sincera, describe algo importante ('Getting into Harvard is a big deal'). De forma sarcástica, descarta algo como poco impresionante ('So you ran a mile. Big deal'). El uso sarcástico se reconoce a menudo por un tono plano e indiferente. 'What's the big deal?' significa '¿por qué es tan importante?'.

「Big deal」には本気の使い方と皮肉な使い方がある。本気で使う場合は重要なことを表す（「Getting into Harvard is a big deal（ハーバードに入るのは大したことだ）」）。皮肉で使う場合は取るに足らないと切り捨てる（「So you ran a mile. Big deal（1マイル走った？だから何）」）。皮肉な用法は、無関心で平坦な口調で見分けられることが多い。「What's the big deal?」は「なぜそれが重要なの？」という意味。

'Big deal'은 진심과 비꼼 두 가지 용법이 있다. 진심으로 쓸 때는 중요한 것을 표현한다('하버드에 합격하는 건 대단한 일이야'). 비꼼으로 쓸 때는 대수롭지 않다고 무시한다('1마일 뛰었다고? 그래서 뭐'). 비꼼은 보통 무표정하고 감흥 없는 톤으로 알 수 있다. 'What's the big deal?'은 '이게 왜 중요한 거야?'라는 뜻이다.

Examples

Getting promoted is a really big deal — congratulations!
升职可是件大事——恭喜你！
Que te asciendan es muy importante, ¡enhorabuena!
昇進するなんてすごいことだよ — おめでとう！
승진하다니 정말 대단한 거야 — 축하해!
You cleaned your room? Big deal, you should have done that weeks ago.
你打扫了房间？那又怎样，你几周前就该打扫了。
¿Has limpiado tu cuarto? Menudo logro, tendrías que haberlo hecho hace semanas.
部屋を片付けた？だから何、何週間も前にやるべきだったでしょ。
방 청소했다고? 그래서 뭐, 몇 주 전에 했어야지.
What's the big deal? It's just a little rain.
有什么大不了的？不过下点雨而已。
¿Cuál es el problema? Si solo es un poco de lluvia.
何が大ごとなの？ちょっと雨が降ってるだけじゃん。
뭐가 그렇게 대단해? 비 좀 오는 거잖아.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: importance, dismissal, sarcasm

Tone: impressed or dismissive depending on context

✓ Do Say

It's not a big deal.
没什么大不了的。
No es para tanto.
It's not a big deal.
별것 아니야.
That's a really big deal!
这真的是件大事！
¡Eso sí que es importante!
That's a really big deal!
그건 정말 대단한 거야!

✗ Don't Say

Using the sarcastic 'big deal' about something someone is genuinely proud of is hurtful
对别人真心引以为豪的事用讽刺语气说'big deal'会伤人
Usar el sarcástico 'big deal' sobre algo de lo que alguien está genuinamente orgulloso resulta hiriente
誰かが本当に誇りに思っていることに対して皮肉な「big deal」を使うのは傷つける
누군가가 진심으로 자랑스러워하는 일에 대해 비꼬는 'big deal'을 사용하면 상처를 줄 수 있다

Origin & History

American English from the mid-20th century. 'Deal' meaning a significant event or arrangement comes from card games and business. The sarcastic inversion became popular in the 1960s-70s.

Cultural Context

Era: Mid-20th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal