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adjective / adverb HSK 3
Traditional 大聲
dà shēng
loudly · in a loud voice · loud

Meaning

大声 means 'loudly' or 'in a loud voice' and is used to describe speaking, shouting, or making sounds at a high volume. It combines 大 (big) and 声 (sound/voice) to literally mean 'big sound.' It commonly modifies verbs of speaking or sound production.

Usage

Native speakers use 大声 both as an adjective (大声的音乐 'loud music') and more commonly as an adverb before verbs (大声说话 'speak loudly'). It often appears in commands or requests like 大声一点 ('speak up a bit'). The opposite 小声 means 'quietly' or 'in a low voice.'

Examples

  1. 01
    请大声说，我听不见。
    Qǐng dà shēng shuō, wǒ tīng bù jiàn.
    Please speak loudly, I can't hear you.
  2. 02
    老师让学生们大声朗读课文。
    Lǎo shī ràng xué shēng men dà shēng lǎng dú kè wén.
    The teacher had the students read the text aloud.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 大声说话
    dà shēng shuō huà
    to speak loudly
  • 大声喊
    dà shēng hǎn
    to shout loudly
  • 大声一点
    dà shēng yī diǎn
    a bit louder
  • 大声朗读
    dà shēng lǎng dú
    to read aloud

Antonyms

Origin

Straightforward compound combining 大 (big) and 声 (sound), creating the literal meaning 'big sound' which naturally extends to 'loudly.'

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