多い・おおい (many/much)

• Reading: おおい
• Romaji: ooi
• Formation: Noun + が + 多い / 多くの + Noun
• Kanji breakdown: 多 (ta/oo) = many, much

Meaning

An い-adjective meaning 'many,' 'much,' or 'a lot.' It describes a large quantity or number of something and is used as a predicate, not as a direct noun modifier in the usual way.

Unlike most い-adjectives, 多い has a unique grammatical restriction: it cannot directly modify a noun in the typical い-adjective position. You cannot say 多い人 (many people) the way you say 大きい人 (big person). Instead, use 多くの人 or the noun phrase 人が多い. When modifying a noun, 多い requires a relative clause structure: 人が多い町 (a town where people are many). The adverbial form 多く functions as a noun meaning 'many' or 'a large number.' 多い is often used in comparative statements and pairs naturally with 少ない (few). It commonly appears in weather reports, statistics, and general observations about quantity.

Examples

1. 今日は人が多いですね。 There are a lot of people today, aren't there?
2. この地域は雨の日が多い。 This area has many rainy days.
3. 日本には温泉が多くあります。 There are many hot springs in Japan.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 東京は電車の路線が多い。
• 今年は雪が多いです。
• 多くの学生がこの授業を取っている。

Don't Say

• 多い人がいます。(Directly modifying a noun with 多い — use 多くの人 or 人が多い instead) → 多くの人がいます。
• 多い本を読みました。(Direct noun modification — 多い cannot precede a noun like other い-adjectives) → たくさんの本を読みました。

Origin & History

An ancient Japanese adjective. The kanji 多 depicts two pieces of meat stacked, representing abundance. It has been used to express large quantities since Old Japanese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal