大多

• Pinyin: dà duō
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = pictograph of a person with outstretched arms; 多 = two 夕 (evening) stacked, meaning many

Meaning

Mostly; for the most part. Indicates that something applies to the majority of cases.

An adverb meaning 'in most cases' or 'the majority of.' Often interchangeable with 大多数 (the majority), but 大多 can function as an adverb modifying a verb directly, while 大多数 is used before nouns. Common in both spoken and written Chinese.

Examples

1. 班上的同学大多来自本地，只有几个是外地的。 Most of the classmates are from the local area — only a few are from elsewhere.
2. 年轻人大多喜欢用手机上网购物。 Young people mostly like to shop online using their phones.
3. 这些问题大多不太难，你应该能做出来。 Most of these questions aren't too difficult — you should be able to do them.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他的朋友大多是大学同学。(Most of his friends are university classmates.)
• 这些菜大多是妈妈做的。(Most of these dishes were made by mum.)

Don't Say

• 把大多放在名词前面当形容词用 (Don't put 大多 directly before a noun as an adjective — use 大多数 before nouns; 大多 goes before verbs)

Origin & History

大 (big/great) + 多 (many/much) — 'greatly many,' meaning the larger portion or majority.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal