grande

USAGE NOTE
"Grande" becomes "gran" before singular nouns. This word must be preceded by the definite article in the sense shown in 10).
grande(
grahn
-
deh
)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g. the big dog).
adjective
1. (size)
a. big
Vengo de una familia grande con muchos hermanos y primos.I come from a big family with many siblings and cousins.
b. large
Pedí un refresco grande.I asked for a large soda.
c. too big
Esa camisa te queda grande. ¿Por qué no te pruebas un número más pequeño?That shirt is too big for you. Why don't you try on a smaller size?
2. (height)
a. tall
Juana está muy grande. ¿Cuántos años tiene?Juana is really tall. How old is she?
3. (age)
a. old
Mi abuela ya está grande y no oye bien.My grandma is old now and can't hear well.
b. older
La nueva profesora de inglés es una mujer grande.The new English teacher is an older woman.
c. big (especially when spoken to a child)
Ya eres grande, Anita. Te puedes atar los zapatos tú solita.You're big now, Anita. You can tie your shoes yourself.
4. (quantity)
a. large
Un gran número de personas se reunió en las calles para festejar.A large number of people gathered in the streets to celebrate.
5. (importance)
a. great
Es un asunto de gran importancia para la nación.It's a matter of great importance for the nation.
b. big
Los líderes del mundo se juntan hoy para discutir las grandes preguntas del cambio climático.The leaders of the world are meeting today to discuss the big questions associated with climate change.
6. (intensity)
a. great
Sentí una gran alegría cuando mi perra tuvo cachorritos.I felt great happiness when my dog had puppies.
b. high
La actriz salió a gran velocidad del teatro sin saludar a los admiradores.The actress left the theater at high speed without greeting her fans.
7.
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
(fantastic)
Regionalism used in Spain
(Spain)
a. great
Me gané una tablet en un sorteo. -¡Qué grande!I won a tablet in a raffle. -That's great!
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of person it refers to (e.g. el doctor, la doctora).
masculine or feminine noun
8.
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
(adult)
a. grown-up (colloquial)
Hay una mesa para los grandes y otra para los niños.There's a table for the grown-ups and another one for the children.
9. (important person or institution)
a. big name
Nadal es uno de los más grandes del tenis mundial.Nadal is one of the biggest names in world tennis.
b. major player
La empresa de Petrini es una de las grandes del sector textil.Petrini's company is one of the major players in the textile industry.
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g. la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
feminine noun
10. (lottery) (River Plate)
a. jackpot
Gómez se sacó la grande y se fue a vivir a Punta del Este.Gómez won the jackpot and moved to Punta del Este.
Copyright © Curiosity Media Inc.
grande
gran is used instead of grande before singular nouns (e.g. gran hombre great man).
adjective
1. big, large (de tamaño) ; tall (de altura) ; great (de intensidad, importancia)
  • este traje me está o me queda grande this suit is too big for me
  • un gran artista a great artist
  • el gran favorito the firm favorite
  • una gran figura a big name
  • una gran parte de mi trabajo implica… a large part of my job involves…
  • una gran responsabilidad a heavy responsibility
  • a lo grande in a big way, in style
  • grandes almacenes department store
  • gran angular (photography) wide-angle lens
  • Gran Bretaña Great Britain
  • el Gran Cañón the Grand Canyon
  • gran danés great Dane
  • gran éxito smash (hit) (disco, libro)
  • los Grandes Lagos the Great Lakes
  • la Gran Muralla (China) the Great Wall (of China)
  • el gran público the general public
  • gran superficie (commerce) hypermarket (peninsular Spanish)
2. old (de edad) (Mexican Spanish, RP)
3. fantastic (informal) (fantástico) (RP) , brilliant (British)
4. (informal)
  • pasarlo en grande to have a great time
masculine noun
5. grandee (noble)
6. (persona, entidad importante)
  • uno de los grandes del sector one of the major players in the sector
  • uno de los grandes de la literatura mexicana one of the big names in Mexican literature
7. (informal)
  • grandes grown-ups (adultos)
Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited
grande
adjective
gran
1 (de tamaño) big; large; (de estatura) big; tall; [+número, velocidad] high; great
viven en una casa muy grande they live in a very big o large house; ¿cómo es de grande? how big o large is it?; what size is it?; los zapatos le están muy grandes the shoes are too big for her; en cantidades más grandes in larger o greater quantities; grandísimo enormous; huge; un esfuerzo grandísimo an enormous effort; a huge effort; un coche grandísimo a whacking great car (familiar); ¡grandísimo tunante! you old rogue!; el gran Buenos Aires greater Buenos Aires
a lo grande in style
hacer algo a lo grande to do sth in style; make a splash doing sth (familiar); vivir a lo grande to live in style
quedarle algo grande a algn to be too much for sb; be more than sb can handle
pasarlo en grande to have a tremendous time (familiar)
grande como una [montaña]
2 (importante) [+artista, hazaña] great; [+empresa] big
un gran pintor a great painter
una gran hazaña
un gran desastre a great disaster; es una ventaja muy grande it's a great advantage; hay una diferencia no muy grande there is not a very big o great difference; los grandes bancos internacionales the big international banks; las grandes empresas multinacionales the big multinationals; la gran mayoría the great majority
3 (mucho, muy) great
con gran placer with great pleasure; fueron grandes amigos they were great friends; he sentido una gran pena I felt very sad; me llevé una alegría muy grande I felt very happy; comer con gran apetito to eat hungrily
ven con gran apetito un mercado de 16 millones de jugadores infantiles
un mes de gran calor a very hot month; un programa de gran éxito a very successful programme
un folletón televisivo de gran éxito
se estrenó con gran éxito it was a great success; it went off very well
4 (en edad) (mayor)
ya eres grande, Raúl you are a big boy now, Raúl; ¿qué piensas hacer cuando seas grande? what do you want to do when you grow up?
Cuando sea grande voy a recuperar las tierras Debe ser pa adultos. La maistra era una mujer grande Cómo no entendí que Heller vivió con Milena y con nosotros como entre chicos una persona grande
5
¡qué grande! (Arg) how funny!
1 (personaje importante)
los grandes de la industria the major companies in the industry; uno de los grandes de la pantalla one of the screen greats; los siete grandes the Big Seven
Grande de España grandee
2 (Latinoamérica) (adulto) adult
1 (Arg) [de lotería] first prize; big prize
2 (And) (cárcel) clink (muy_familiar); jail
Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
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