巨

See also: 鉅, 臣, and 囙

巨 U+5DE8, 巨 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5DE8 ← 巧 [U+5DE7] CJK Unified Ideographs 巩 → [U+5DE9]

Translingual

Han character

巨 (Kangxi radical 48, 工+2 in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean, 工+1 in mainland China, 5 strokes in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean, 4 strokes in mainland China, Cangjie input 尸尸 (SS), four-corner 7171₇, composition ⿷工コ(TJK) or ⿷匚コ(G))

Derived characters

• 佢, 𠰠, 姖, 岠, 弡, 怇, 拒, 洰, 昛, 柜, 炬, 𭸾, 𨒑, 歫, 矩, 秬, 粔, 䋌, 耟, 蚷, 詎(讵), 𧲽, 𧺹, 距, 䣰, 鉅(钜), 壾, 駏, 鮔, 𪀏, 䶙, 䢹, 𩿝, 巪, 乬, 螶, 奆, 苣, 𥬙, 𨳽

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 325, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8722
• Dae Jaweon: page 628, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 82, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5DE8

Chinese

trad.		巨
simp. #		巨
alternative forms		㠪 𠫕 𢀑 ancient form 𢀓

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 巨
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (巨) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
柜	*kaʔ
渠	*ɡa
磲	*ɡa
蕖	*ɡa
蟝	*ɡa
璖	*ɡa
巨	*ɡaʔ
距	*ɡaʔ
拒	*ɡaʔ
苣	*ɡaʔ
炬	*ɡaʔ
詎	*ɡaʔ, *ɡas
鉅	*ɡaʔ
秬	*ɡaʔ
粔	*ɡaʔ
駏	*ɡaʔ
歫	*ɡaʔ
矩	*kʷaʔ
榘	*kʷaʔ

Jiajie (假借) of 矩 (OC *kʷaʔ, “carpenter's square”), borrowed for 巨 (OC *ɡaʔ, “enormous”). By the small seal script, the character was simplified and the man holding the carpenter's square was removed; however, the hand holding it appears to remain as the コ shape inside the 工.

Shuowen interprets it as a pictogram, however Chen (2021) points out that 矩 is the original shape.

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wa (“large, wide, distant”). Insides Sinitic, 巨 (OC *gwaʔ ?) is possibly related to 迂 (OC *wa, “to enlarge, increase”) and perhaps 況 (OC *hwaŋh, “to increase, increasingly, how much more, moreover”); outsides Sinitic, cognate with Mizo vak (“with force, very hard, much, exceedingly, in large number / quantities, (open mouth) wide”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jù (ju⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄩˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): geoi⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khî

  (Hailu, HRS): ki^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ki¹

• Northern Min (KCR): gṳ̀
• Eastern Min (BUC): gé̤ṳ
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gy⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kū / kǐr / kī / kîr / kǐ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ge⁶

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶jiu / ⁶ji / ⁴jiu / ²jiu
  • (Jinhua): ⁶jiu

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jù
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄩˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jyù
    • Wade–Giles: chü⁴
    • Yale: jyù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiuh
    • Palladius: цзюй (czjuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕy⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: geoi⁶
    • Yale: geuih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: goey⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gêu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɵy̯²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khî
    • Hakka Romanization System: ki^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ki¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰi²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: ki^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰi⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ki¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰi⁴⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gṳ̀
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ky⁴²/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gé̤ṳ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /køy²¹³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: gy⁵
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gṳ̄
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ky¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: gy⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ky²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kū
    • Tâi-lô: kū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ku
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /ku³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /ku²²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Hui'an)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kǐr
    • Tâi-lô: kǐr
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Hui'an): /kɯ²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kī
    • Tâi-lô: kī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ki
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /ki³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /ki²²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kîr
    • Tâi-lô: kîr
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /kɯ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Jinjiang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kǐ
    • Tâi-lô: kǐ
    • Sinological IPA (Jinjiang): /ki³³/

Note:

• Quanzhou:
  • kǐr - literary;
  • kîr - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: ge⁶
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kṳ̆
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɯ³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶jiu
    • MiniDict: jiu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³jjy
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /d͡ʑy²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /d͡ʑy¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /ɟy¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /d͡ʑy³¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /d͡ʑy²³¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /d͡ʑy²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /d͡ʑy¹¹³/
  • (Northern: Chongming)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ji
    • MiniDict: ji^去
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /d͡ʑi³¹³/
  • (Northern: Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ⁴jiu
    • MiniDict: jiu^上
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /d͡ʑy²¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /d͡ʑy¹¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /d͡ʑy²⁴/
  • (Northern: Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ²jiu
    • MiniDict: jiu^平
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /d͡ʑy³¹³/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ⁶jiu
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /d͡ʑy¹⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: gjoX

Rime
Character	巨
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	群 (30)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	其吕切
Baxter	gjoX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɡɨʌX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɡiɔX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɡiɔX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/gɨə̆X/
Li Rong	/ɡiɔX/
Wang Li	/ɡĭoX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/gi̯woX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jù
Expected Cantonese Reflex	geoi6

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡaʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	巨
Reading #	1/1
No.	7047
Phonetic component	巨
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*ɡaʔ/

Definitions

巨

1. huge; gigantic; enormous

   Alternative forms: 鉅, 距

2. a surname
3. macro-; macro
4. million; one million; mega-; mega
5. short for 巨港 (Jùgǎng, “Palembang”)

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

6. (neologism, colloquial) super; very
   • 2025 January 18, 29:26 from the start, in News Weekly‎^[2], spoken by Fu Yuanhui, via China Central Television:

     走快點 快曬死我了 我巨容易曬傷 [MSC, trad.]
     走快点 快晒死我了 我巨容易晒伤 [MSC, simp.]

     zǒu kuài diǎn   kuài shài sǐ wǒ le   wǒ jù róngyì shàishāng [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Antonyms

• 小 (xiǎo)
• 微 (wēi)

Compounds

• 一代巨擘
• 三巨頭 / 三巨头 (sānjùtóu)
• 天王巨星
• 巨人 (jùrén)
• 巨人族
• 巨人症 (jùrénzhèng)
• 巨作 (jùzuò)
• 巨公
• 巨勛 / 巨勋
• 巨匠 (jùjiàng)
• 巨商
• 巨型 (jùxíng)
• 巨壑
• 巨大 (jùdà)
• 巨大無比 / 巨大无比 (jùdàwúbǐ)
• 巨子 (jùzǐ)
• 巨室 (jùshì)
• 巨富 (jùfù)
• 巨川
• 巨幅 (jùfú)
• 巨擘 (jùbò)
• 巨星 (jùxīng)
• 巨棒
• 巨棒外交
• 巨款 (jùkuǎn)
• 巨毋霸 (jùwúbà)
• 巨流 (jùliú)
• 巨浸
• 巨海
• 巨浪 (jùlàng)
• 巨港 (Jùgǎng)
• 巨烏賊 / 巨乌贼 (jùwūzéi)
• 巨然
• 巨無霸 / 巨无霸 (jùwúbà)
• 巨爵座 (Jùjuézuò)
• 巨猿
• 巨猾
• 巨獵豹 / 巨猎豹 (jùlièbào)
• 巨盜 / 巨盗
• 巨眼
• 巨石
• 巨石文化
• 巨碩 / 巨硕
• 巨禍 / 巨祸 (jùhuò)
• 巨萬 / 巨万 (jùwàn)
• 巨細 / 巨细 (jùxì)
• 巨細無遺 / 巨细无遗 (jùxìwúyí)
• 巨細靡遺 / 巨细靡遗 (jùxìmǐyí)
• 巨脾症
• 巨著 (jùzhù)
• 巨蛋 (jùdàn)
• 巨蛇座 (Jùshézuò)
• 巨蜥 (jùxī)
• 巨蟹座 (Jùxièzuò)
• 巨蠹
• 巨觥 (jùgōng)
• 巨變 / 巨变 (jùbiàn)
• 巨資 / 巨资 (jùzī)
• 巨闕 / 巨阙
• 巨響 / 巨响 (jùxiǎng)
• 巨頭 / 巨头 (jùtóu)
• 巨額 / 巨额 (jù'é)
• 巨鹿 (Jùlù)
• 巨龍 / 巨龙 (Jùlóng)
• 楊巨源 / 杨巨源
• 泥足巨人
• 深奸巨猾
• 狂濤巨浪 / 狂涛巨浪
• 看文巨眼
• 老奸巨猾 (lǎojiānjùhuá)
• 艱巨 / 艰巨 (jiānjù)
• 超巨星 (chāojùxīng)
• 郭巨
• 鴻篇巨制 / 鸿篇巨制 (hóngpiānjùzhì)
• 鴻篇巨帙 / 鸿篇巨帙 (hóngpiānjùzhì)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 巨 – see 颶 (“typhoon; hurricane”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 颶).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

References

• “巨”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[3], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01149

Japanese

Shinjitai	巨
Kyūjitai	巨󠄁 巨+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	巨󠄃 巨+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

巨

(Jōyō kanji)

1. enormous, giant

Readings

• Go-on: ご (go)
• Kan-on: きょ (kyo, Jōyō)^{←きよ (kyo, historical)}
• Kan’yō-on: こ (ko)
• Kun: おおきい (ōkii, 巨きい)^{←おほきい (ofokii, 巨きい, historical)}、でかい (dekai, 巨い)
• Nanori: おお (ō)^{←おほ (ofo, historical)}、か (ka)、なお (nao)^{←なほ (nafo, historical)}

Compounds

• 巨(きょ)人(じん) (kyojin): a giant
• 巨(きょ)乳(にゅう) (kyonyū): large breasts
• 巨(きょ)大(だい) (kyodai): huge

Korean

Hanja

巨 (eumhun 큰 거 (keun geo))

1. hanja form^? of 거 (“bigness”)

Vietnamese

Han character

巨: Hán Nôm readings: cự, cựa

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.