1.
great, significant, considerable
Used before nouns to indicate something is remarkable, important, or impressive. Often used in positive contexts.
2.
not much, not a big deal (with negation)
When used with negative forms, indicates something is insignificant, trivial, or not worth mentioning.
大した is a pre-noun adjectival (always modifies a noun directly) meaning "great," "considerable," or "remarkable."
Common patterns
- Always used before nouns: 大した＋noun
- Cannot be used as a predicate (大しただ is incorrect)
- Derives from 大する (to be significant)
NEGATIVE PATTERNS (very common):
Used with negation to mean "not a big deal" — this is actually the most frequent usage pattern.
- 大したことない: it's nothing special, it's no big deal
- 大した問題じゃない: it's not a big problem
- 大したものじゃない: it's nothing much
Positive patterns
Usage
In positive statements, 大した expresses genuine admiration. In negative statements, it downplays the significance of something.
Related Words
Related:
大変 (serious, great)