What is the difference between "大体" and "だいたい"?

"大体" means "approximately, mostly, generally" (N4), whereas "だいたい" represents "approximately, roughly, mostly, generally" (N3).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "だいたい (daitai)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

だいたい (daitai)

N4 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

だいたい (daitai)

N3 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "だいたい (daitai)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

大体 (Level: N4): Translates to "approximately, mostly, generally" and is used when Adverb. Used to express approximation.
だいたい (Level: N3): Maps to "approximately, roughly, mostly, generally" and carries the nuance of Used to indicate that something is not exact but close, or that the majority of something is true. It can mean 'approximately,' 'mostly,' or 'generally.' 日本語では、「およそ」「ほとんど」といった意味で使われます。.

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "大体"

仕事は大体終わりました。

My work is mostly finished.

Bilingual Context for "だいたい"

新宿から渋谷までだいたい15分かかります。

It takes approximately 15 minutes from Shinjuku to Shibuya.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "仕事は＿＿＿終わりました。" (Meaning: "My work is mostly finished.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "大体" is used for "approximately, mostly, generally" in the context: "My work is mostly finished.".