大金

たいきん

large amount of money

JLPT N1

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"大金" (たいきん) specifically refers to a large sum of money, often implying a significant or substantial amount. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Japanese when discussing money matters involving considerable value.

Common Contexts

You will often hear "大金" in contexts such as winning money, making expensive purchases, or saving large sums. It carries a neutral to formal tone and is appropriate in everyday conversation as well as in news or business contexts.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 大金を使う: to spend a large amount of money
  • 大金を貯める: to save a large amount of money
  • 大金を手に入れる: to obtain a large amount of money These collocations highlight typical actions related to "大金".

Usage Tips

When using "大金," the speaker usually wants to emphasize the size or importance of the money involved. Avoid confusing it with "お金" (money in general) or "小金" (a small amount of money). "大金" always implies a notably large sum.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes overuse "大金" for moderate amounts of money. Reserve it for situations where the amount is truly significant to avoid sounding unnatural.

Example Sentences

かれはたからくじでたいきんをてにいれた。

He won a large amount of money in the lottery.

たいきんをつかってあたらしいくるまをかった。

I spent a large amount of money to buy a new car.

たいきんをためるためにまいつきせつやくしている。

I save money every month to accumulate a large amount of money.