斗大

dǒudà

adjective

Meanings

1 as big as a dou (a peck-measure)
2 huge (of letters, beads of sweat, etc.)
3 (of a tiny place) only as big as a peck-measure

Characters

peck (grain measure)

Examples

墙上写着斗大的标语。

Qiáng shàng xiězhe dǒudà de biāoyǔ.

Huge slogans were written on the wall.

他急得头上冒出斗大的汗珠。

Tā jí de tóu shàng màochū dǒudà de hànzhū.

He was so anxious that beads of sweat the size of peas formed on his head.

这斗大的小县城，谁不认识谁？

Zhè dǒudà de xiǎo xiànchéng, shéi bù rènshi shéi?

In this peanut-sized county town, who doesn't know whom?

Tips

culture

斗 was a traditional grain measure (about 10 liters / a peck). 斗大 has split in two opposite directions: applied to text or sweat drops it means 'huge'; applied to a place it means 'tiny' (only a peck-sized speck on the map). Context tells you which.

memory

斗大的字 'peck-sized characters' = giant letters you can read from across the room. Picture imperial billboards painted in characters as big as a grain bucket.

Stroke Order

斗 dòu

大 dà