多(おお)く

おおく
noun, adverb
many; much; a large number; mostly
quantity
1. many; much; a large number; the majority
A large number or amount of something. Functions as a noun, often followed by の (多くの = many) or used with が/は as a subject meaning 'most' or 'the majority.'
多(おお)くの人(ひと)が参加(さんか)した。
Many people participated.
学生(がくせい)の多(おお)くは通学(つうがく)に電車(でんしゃ)を使(つか)っている。
Most of the students use the train to commute to school.
この地域(ちいき)では多(おお)くの場合(ばあい)、車(くるま)がないと不便(ふべん)だ。
In this area, it's inconvenient without a car in most cases.
被害(ひがい)を受(う)けた建物(たてもの)の多(おお)くは築(ちく)30年以上(ねんいじょう)のものだった。
Most of the damaged buildings were over 30 years old.
2. mostly; for the most part; in many cases
Used adverbially to indicate that something is true in the majority of cases.
この地域(ちいき)では多(おお)くの場合(ばあい)、車(くるま)がないと不便(ふべん)だ。
In this area, it's inconvenient without a car in most cases.
日本人(にほんじん)は多(おお)く語(かた)らない。
Japanese people for the most part don't talk a lot.
休日(きゅうじつ)は多(おお)くを家(いえ)で過(す)ごす。
I spend most of my days off at home.

The noun/adverb form of 多(おお)い (many). While 多(おお)い exists as an adjective, it cannot directly modify a noun — *多(おお)い人(ひと) is ungrammatical. Use 多(おお)くの instead.

Common patterns

Watch out

Learners often write 多(おお)い人(ひと) instead of 多(おお)くの人(ひと) or 人(ひと)が多(おお)い. This is one of the most common errors with 多(おお)い.

Related Words

Compare: 大部分(だいぶぶん) (most part, majority)
general
Added 2026.3.23 11:03 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
18500/18752_ooku