大した

• Reading: たいした
• Romaji: taishita
• Kanji breakdown: 大 (tai/dai) — big, great
• Pronunciation: /ta.i.ɕi.ta/

Meaning

Significant; great; considerable. Often used in negative sentences to mean 'not a big deal.'

A pre-noun adjective (連体詞) that always modifies a noun directly. In affirmative sentences it means 'impressive/remarkable,' but it is very frequently used in the negative pattern 大したことない (it is nothing special / no big deal). This negative usage is especially common in casual speech.

Examples

1. 大したけがじゃないから心配しないで。 It's not a serious injury, so don't worry.
2. 彼は大した努力もせずに合格した。 He passed without putting in much effort at all.
3. こんな短い時間でこれを作るとは大したものだ。 It's really impressive that you made this in such a short time.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, conversation, reassurance

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Derived from 大する, an older verbal form of 大 (big/great). The した form functions as a pre-noun modifier, frozen from the past tense of this now-obsolete verb.

Cultural Context

Era: Early Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal