大哥大

dàgēdà

noun #29,597

Meanings

1 a bulky early-model mobile phone; brick phone
2 (slang) a mob boss; triad leader

Characters

Examples

九十年代，拿着大哥大打电话是身份的象征。

Jiǔshí niándài, ná zhe dàgēdà dǎ diànhuà shì shēnfèn de xiàngzhēng.

In the 1990s, talking on a brick phone was a status symbol.

电影里那个大哥大手下有几百个小弟。

Diànyǐng lǐ nà gè dàgēdà shǒu xià yǒu jǐ bǎi gè xiǎodì.

The mob boss in the film had hundreds of underlings.

Tips

culture

大哥大 was the popular term in 1980s–90s Hong Kong and mainland China for a large, expensive mobile phone, evoking power and wealth. It literally means 'big big brother', reflecting its association with gang bosses who were often the first to own them.

Stroke Order

大 dà

哥 gē