大规模

• Pinyin: dà guī mó
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = pictograph of a person with arms spread; 规 = 夫 (man) + 见 (see); 模 = 木 (wood) + 莫 (phonetic)

Meaning

Large-scale; on a grand scale. Describing something that is extensive in size, scope, or impact.

Used to describe events, actions, or phenomena that are conducted on a very large scale. Common in news, military, economic, and scientific contexts. Often modifies nouns like 生产 (production), 建设 (construction), 活动 (activities), or 战争 (war).

Examples

1. 这座城市正在进行大规模的道路建设工程。 This city is undergoing large-scale road construction.
2. 公司计划明年进行大规模的招聘。 The company plans to conduct large-scale recruitment next year.
3. 大规模的植树活动让这片荒地变成了森林。 The large-scale tree-planting campaign turned this barren land into a forest.

Usage Guide

Context: news, economics, military, construction

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府启动了大规模的疫苗接种计划。(The government launched a large-scale vaccination programme.)
• 大规模生产可以降低成本。(Large-scale production can reduce costs.)

Don't Say

• 用大规模来形容个人的小事 (Don't use 大规模 for small personal matters — it describes massive, organised operations; use 大量 for 'a lot of' in simpler contexts)

Origin & History

大 (big) + 规模 (scale/scope) — 规 originally meant a compass tool (for drawing circles) and 模 meant a mold or pattern; together they came to mean the overall scope or scale of something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal