Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Big; large: Refers to a significant physical size, volume, or quantity, exceeding the norm or average.
   • Loud: Describes a sound of high intensity or volume.
   • Major; significant: Indicates something of considerable scale, importance, strength, or impact.
   • High-ranking (colloquial): Pertains to a person holding a high position or great authority.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Big/Large):
  • Cây to. (A big tree.)
  • Anh ấy có số tiền to. (He has a large sum of money.)
• Adjective (Loud):
  • Đừng nói to quá! (Don't speak so loudly!)
  • Tiếng chuông kêu to. (The bell rings loudly.)
• Adjective (Major/Significant):
  • Cơn bão rất to. (The storm is very strong/major.)
  • Công ty thua to trong vụ kiện. (The company suffered a major loss in the lawsuit.)
• Adjective (High-ranking):
  • Ông ấy là một quan to. (He is a high-ranking official.)

Advanced Usage

• "to gan": Literally "big liver," meaning bold, daring, or audacious.
  • Hắn thật to gan dám làm thế. (He is truly audacious to dare do that.)
• "to tát": Emphasizes something as being very big, major, or serious.
  • Đó là một sai lầm to tát. (That is a huge mistake.)

Variants and Related Words

• To lớn (adj): Great, immense, enormous (often for abstract concepts like gratitude, contribution).
  • Lòng biết ơn to lớn. (Great gratitude.)
• To xác (adj): Big-bodied, bulky (can be neutral or slightly derogatory).
  • Con vật to xác nhưng hiền lành. (The animal is bulky but gentle.)

Synonyms

• Large; big: For physical size.
• Loud: For sound volume.
• Major; considerable; significant: For importance or scale.
• High-ranking; prominent: For social or official position.

Related Idioms

• Bé xé ra to: To make a mountain out of a molehill; to exaggerate a small problem.
  • Chuyện nhỏ thôi, đừng bé xé ra to. (It's a small matter, don't make a mountain out of a molehill.)
• To đầu mà dại: Literally "big head but foolish"; used for someone who is adult or important but acts stupidly.
  • Đã là người lớn rồi còn làm thế, đúng là to đầu mà dại. (You're an adult and still do that, truly a fool despite your age/status.)

adj

1. big