Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Big in Spanish: Grande & Gran
Grande · adjective · GRAHN-deh
Big in Spanish is grande. When placed before a singular noun, it shortens to gran and often shifts meaning from big (physical size) to great (importance or quality): un gran hombre (a great man) vs. un hombre grande (a big/tall man).
GRAHN-deh (grande) · grahn (gran)
Vivimos en una casa grande con jardín trasero.
We live in a big house with a backyard.
Big in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for big, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| grande | big | GRAHN-deh | Default, widely understood |
| gran | big | shortened form before singular nouns | |
| enorme | big | enormous, very big |
How Native Speakers Use Grande
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Physical size
Ese perro es muy grande; pesa casi cuarenta kilos.
That dog is very big; it weighs almost forty kilos.
After the noun or with ser/estar, grande means big in size.
Great (before noun)
Fue una gran oportunidad que no podía desperdiciar.
It was a great opportunity I couldn't waste.
Gran before a noun emphasizes greatness or importance, not physical size.
Comparative
Mi apartamento es más grande que el tuyo.
My apartment is bigger than yours.
The comparative of grande is más grande (bigger) — not grander or a special form.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Grande
Using grande before a singular noun
Incorrect: Es un grande problema.
Correct: Es un gran problema.
Grande shortens to gran before any singular noun (masculine or feminine). Un gran problema, una gran idea.
Confusing size and greatness
Incorrect: Es un gran edificio. (meaning physically large)
Correct: Es un edificio grande. (physically large) / Es un gran edificio. (impressive)
Gran before the noun implies greatness/importance. For purely physical size, place grande after the noun.
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Common Questions About Big in Spanish
- How do you say big in Spanish?
- Big is grande. Before a singular noun it shortens to gran (un gran día). After the noun it stays as grande (una casa grande).
- What is the difference between grande and gran?
- Grande (after noun) = big in size. Gran (before singular noun) = great in importance. Example: un hombre grande (a big man) vs. un gran hombre (a great man).
- How do you say bigger in Spanish?
- Bigger is más grande: Esta caja es más grande que la otra (This box is bigger than the other one). There is no single-word comparative like bigger.