大部分（だいぶぶん、daibuぶn）
- most part

The Japanese word 大部分 (だいぶぶん) means "the majority," "most part," "bulk," or "for the most part" of something. It refers to a significant portion or a large percentage of a whole. It implies that something applies to or is true for most items or individuals within a group, without necessarily including everything. It focuses on the larger portion, not necessarily the complete entirety. The degree of the "majority" can vary depending on context, but generally, it suggests more than half.

⚫︎ 大部分の学生は試験に合格しました。 Translation: Most of the students passed the exam. ⚫︎ この店の商品の大部分は手作りです。 Translation: Most of the products in this shop are handmade. ⚫︎ 会議の大部分は議題について議論しました。 Translation: Most of the meeting was spent discussing the agenda.

⚫︎ Use 大部分 to describe a significant portion or a large number or quantity. ⚫︎ It's useful when you want to highlight that something applies to the majority without suggesting it applies to absolutely everything. ⚫︎ It is commonly used in various contexts, from describing groups of people, items, time, or events. ⚫︎ 大部分 is a relatively formal word and suitable for business settings or formal writing, though it can also be used in casual conversations depending on context. ⚫︎ You can use it with various counters such as 人 (person), 種類 (kind/type), 時間 (time), etc.

⚫︎ The word is typically written in kanji as 大部分. ⚫︎ The reading is だいぶぶん in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in the okurigana. ⚫︎ In casual settings, it is possible to hear 大部分 pronounced in a slightly abbreviated way, but this is less common.

⚫︎ ほとんど (hotondo) - "almost all," "most" ⚫︎ 大半 (taihan) - "the greater part," "most" ⚫︎ 多数 (tasuu) - "majority," "a large number" ⚫︎ 過半数 (kahanusuu) - "majority" (specifically more than half) ⚫︎ 大多数 (daitasuu) - "the great majority"

⚫︎ 少数 (shousuu) - "minority," "a small number" ⚫︎ 一部 (ichibu) - "a part," "a portion" ⚫︎ わずか (wazuka) - "a few," "only a little"

このプロジェクトの大部分は、来週までに完了する予定です。 ・Translation: The majority of this project is scheduled to be completed by next week. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 大部分 to indicate that a large portion of the project will be finished by the following week. It doesn't mean the *entire* project, but the significant segment of it.

大部分の生徒たちは、夏休みの間に旅行に行きました。 ・Translation: Most of the students went on trips during the summer vacation. ・Explanation: This sentence describes that a large number of students, but not necessarily all, traveled during the summer vacation. It indicates the primary trend or common experience within the student group.

⚫︎ 大 (dai) means "big," "large," or "great." ⚫︎ 部 (bu) means "part," "section," or "portion." ⚫︎ 分 (bun) means "part," "share," or "portion." Together, 大部分 literally means "the big part" or "the greater portion."