大纲

• Pinyin: dà gāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 (big, main) + 纲 (rope, outline, guiding principle)

Meaning

Outline; syllabus; general principles.

Refers to a structured summary or framework document. Commonly used for course syllabi, exam guidelines, book outlines, or policy frameworks. In academic contexts, often refers to official curriculum standards.

Examples

1. 老师发了这学期的教学大纲。 The teacher distributed this semester's syllabus.
2. 写论文之前，先列一个大纲会更有条理。 Before writing a thesis, making an outline first will help organize your thoughts.
3. 这本书的大纲已经定了，现在开始写内容。 The outline for this book is finalized; now it's time to write the content.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, writing, planning

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 请按照大纲准备考试。(Please prepare for the exam according to the syllabus.)
• 先写大纲再写正文。(Write the outline first, then the main text.)

Don't Say

• 说'做一个大纲'听起来不太地道——通常说'列大纲'或'写大纲' (Saying 做一个大纲 sounds unnatural — 列大纲 or 写大纲 is more idiomatic)

Origin & History

Compound of 大 (big, main) + 纲 (rope, outline, guiding principle), meaning the main framework or structure.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal