大气

大氣
dàqì
noun HSK 7-9 #10,071

Meanings

  1. 1 atmosphere (of a planet)
  2. 2 imposing; grand; generous in style (adjective)

Characters

Literally 'great air.' As a scientific term it means 'atmosphere.' As an adjective describing style, it means 'imposing and generous' - the opposite of petty or fussy.

Examples

HSK 1
Tā chuān yīfu hěn dàqì.
She dresses in a classy, elegant way.
HSK 3
Zhège shèjì hěn dàqì.
This design is very grand and imposing.
HSK 5
Dàqì wūrǎn yuèláiyuè yánzhòng.
Atmospheric pollution is getting worse and worse.

Tips

usage
As a compliment, 大气 means 'classy, imposing, generous in style' - the opposite of 小气 (xiǎoqì, 'petty/stingy'). You can describe architecture, fashion, a person's manner, or even handwriting as 大气.

Stroke Order