大事

• Reading: だいじ
• Romaji: daiji
• Kanji breakdown: 大 (dai/oo) — big, great; 事 (ji/koto) — thing, matter
• Pronunciation: /da.i.dʑi/

Meaning

Important; valuable; precious. Describes something that matters greatly and should be treated with care.

A na-adjective used to describe importance or value. 大事な人 (an important person), 大事にする (to take good care of), お大事に (take care of yourself — said to someone who is ill). Differs from 大切 (taisetsu) in that 大事 can also mean a serious matter or crisis as a noun: 大事に至る (lead to a serious situation).

Examples

1. 健康は何よりも大事です。 Health is more important than anything.
2. この写真は私にとって大事なものです。 This photo is something precious to me.
3. 大事な話があるので、ちょっと時間をください。 I have something important to talk about, so could you spare a moment?

Usage Guide

Context: values, relationships, health

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 大 (dai, big/great) + 事 (ji, thing/matter). Literally means a big matter — something significant enough to require attention and care.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal