高大

• Pinyin: gāo dà
• Hanzi breakdown: 高 = tall/high; 大 = big/large

Meaning

Tall and big; imposing; lofty. Describing height combined with size or grandeur.

Used for tall people with strong builds, large trees, impressive buildings, or figuratively for noble and admirable qualities. Combines physical height with a sense of impressiveness.

Examples

1. 他长得高大威猛，像个运动员。 He's tall and powerful, like an athlete.
2. 校园里种着几棵高大的梧桐树。 Several tall sycamore trees are planted on campus.
3. 在孩子心中，父亲的形象总是很高大。 In a child's mind, the father's image is always tall and admirable.

Usage Guide

Context: description, admiration, nature

Tone: impressive

Do Say

• 他很高大。(He's tall and imposing.)
• 好高大的建筑！(What a tall, imposing building!)

Don't Say

• 高大的猫 (Cats are small animals — 高大 is for things that are impressively large in absolute terms, not relatively big)

Origin & History

Compound of 高 (tall, high) + 大 (big, large), describing something both tall and large.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal