大量

• Pinyin: dà liàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = big; 量 = originally measuring weight, extended to quantity and amount

Meaning

A large amount; a great deal; a lot of. Used to describe a large quantity of something.

More formal than 很多 (many/much). Often used in written Chinese, news, and semi-formal speech. Can modify both countable and uncountable nouns.

Examples

1. 这家工厂每天生产大量的产品。 This factory produces a large quantity of products every day.
2. 学好一门外语需要大量的练习。 Mastering a foreign language requires a great deal of practice.
3. 大量的雨水让河水涨了很多。 A large amount of rain caused the river level to rise a lot.

Usage Guide

Context: quantity, production, study

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他读了大量的书。(He read a large number of books.)
• 我们需要大量的时间。(We need a great deal of time.)

Don't Say

• 不要在日常口语中过多使用大量 — in casual conversation, 很多 or 好多 is more natural. 大量 sounds slightly more formal or written.

Origin & History

Compound of 大 (big, great) and 量 (amount, quantity). Literally means a great quantity.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal