四大 in Chinese / Japanese...

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Shidai / Sida / Mahabhuta

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sì dà

shi dai

사대

In Mahayana Buddhism, 四大 represents mahābhūta, the four elements of which all things are made: earth, water, fire, and wind.

This can also represent the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters.

In some contexts, this can be a university or college offering four-year programs.

To others, this can represent the Tao, Heaven, Earth, and King.

Going back to the Buddhist context, these four elements “earth, water, fire, and wind,” represent 堅, 濕, 煖, 動, which are: solid, liquid, heat, and motion.

Earth Fire Water Air

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yondaigenso

四大元素 is the title for the four classical chemical elements (fire, earth, air, and water) in Japanese.

四大 = four great/big. 元素 = elements. So 四大元素 literally means “Four Great Elements.”

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Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your 四大 search...

Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese	Pronunciation Romanization	Simple Dictionary Definition
四大 see styles	sì dà si4 da4 ssu ta shidai しだい	More info & calligraphy: Shidai / Sida / Mahabhuta the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind (Buddhism); the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters, 大鳴大放\|大鸣大放[da4 ming2 da4 fang4], 大辯論\|大辩论[da4 bian4 lun4], 大字報\|大字报[da4 zi4 bao4] (PRC) (1) {Buddh} the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind); (2) the human body; (3) Tao, heaven, earth and king mahābhūta, 四界; 四大界. The four elements of which all things are made; or the four realms; i. e. earth, water, fire, and wind (or air); they represent 堅, 濕, 煖, and 動 solid, liquid, heat, and motion; motion produces and maintains life. As 實 active or formative forces they are styled 四界 (四大界) ; as 假 passive or material objects they are 四大; but the 成實論 Satyasiddhi śāstra disputes the 實 and recognizes only the 假.
四大元素 see styles	yondaigenso よんだいげんそ	More info & calligraphy: Earth Fire Water Air the four classical chemical elements (fire, earth, air and water)
四大丸 see styles	shidaimaru しだいまる	四大丸 Custom Scroll (place-name) Shidaimaru
四大地 see styles	yondaichi よんだいち	四大地 Custom Scroll (place-name) Yondaichi
四大師四大师 see styles	sì dà shī si4 da4 shi1 ssu ta shih shi daishi	四大師 Custom Scroll The four monastic heads imperially appointed during, the Tang dynasty.
四大律 see styles	sì dà lǜ si4 da4 lv4 ssu ta lü shi dairitsu	四大律 Custom Scroll four great vinayas
四大洲 see styles	sì dà zhōu si4 da4 zhou1 ssu ta chou shi daishū	四大洲 Custom Scroll four continents
四大海 see styles	sì dà hǎi si4 da4 hai3 ssu ta hai	四大海 Custom Scroll The four great oceans in a world, around Sumeru, in which are the four great continents; cf. 九山八海.
四大王 see styles	sì dà wáng si4 da4 wang2 ssu ta wang shidaiō	四大王 Custom Scroll four heavenly kings
四大種四大种 see styles	sì dà zhǒng si4 da4 zhong3 ssu ta chung shi dai shu	四大種 Custom Scroll idem 四大.
四大節 see styles	shidaisetsu しだいせつ	四大節 Custom Scroll (See 紀元節,四方拝,天長節,明治節) the four grand national holidays (Prayer to the Four Quarters, Empire Day, the Emperor's Birthday, Emperor Meiji's birthday; 1927-1948)
四大護四大护 see styles	sì dà hù si4 da4 hu4 ssu ta hu shidaigo	四大護 Custom Scroll The guardian devas of the four quarters: south 金剛無勝結護; east 無畏結護; north 懷諸怖結護; and west 難降伏結護. The 四大佛護院 is the thirteenth group of the Garbhadhātu.
四大不調四大不调 see styles	sì dà bù diào si4 da4 bu4 diao4 ssu ta pu tiao shidaifuchou / shidaifucho しだいふちょう	四大不調 Custom Scroll {Buddh} falling ill (esp. of a monk); illness The inharmonious working of the four elements in the body, which causes the 440 ailments; cf. 四蛇.
四大名山 see styles	sì dà míng shān si4 da4 ming2 shan1 ssu ta ming shan shidai myōsan	四大名山 Custom Scroll The four famous 'hills' or monasteries in China: 普陀 P'u-t'o, for Guanyin, element water; 五臺 Wu-tai, Wen-shu, wind; 峨眉 O-mei, P'uhsien, fire; and 九華 Chiu-hua, Tizang, earth.
四大名著 see styles	sì dà míng zhù si4 da4 ming2 zhu4 ssu ta ming chu	四大名著 Custom Scroll the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, namely: A Dream of Red Mansions 紅樓夢\|红楼梦[Hong2 lou2 Meng4], Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義\|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4], Water Margin 水滸傳\|水浒传[Shui3 hu3 Zhuan4], Journey to the West 西遊記\|西游记[Xi1 you2 Ji4]
四大堂口 see styles	sì dà táng kǒu si4 da4 tang2 kou3 ssu ta t`ang k`ou ssu ta tang kou shi daidōku	四大堂口 Custom Scroll four departments of a monastery
四大大会 see styles	yondaitaikai よんだいたいかい	四大大会 Custom Scroll the four most important tournaments in a particular sport; grand slam tournaments; majors
四大天王 see styles	sì dà tiān wáng si4 da4 tian1 wang2 ssu ta t`ien wang ssu ta tien wang shi daitennō	四大天王 Custom Scroll the four heavenly kings (Sanskrit vajra); the four guardians or warrior attendants of Buddha see 四天王. The four deva-kings of the four quarters, guardians in a monastery.
四大奇書 see styles	shidaikisho しだいきしょ	四大奇書 Custom Scroll Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin, and The Plum in the Golden Vase)
四大家魚 see styles	yondaikagyo よんだいかぎょ	四大家魚 Custom Scroll four large domesticated fishes (black carp, grass carp, bighead carp, and silver carp)
四大廣律四大广律 see styles	sì dà guǎng lǜ si4 da4 guang3 lv4 ssu ta kuang lü shi daikō ritsu	四大廣律 Custom Scroll four comprehensive vinaya texts
四大弟子 see styles	sì dà dì zǐ si4 da4 di4 zi3 ssu ta ti tzu shi dai daishi	四大弟子 Custom Scroll The four great disciples of the Buddha— Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Subhūti, and Mahākāśyapa. Another group is Mahākāśyapa, Piṇḍola, Rāhula, and ? Kauṇḍinya.
四大文明 see styles	yondaibunmei / yondaibunme よんだいぶんめい	四大文明 Custom Scroll (hist) the four great civilizations of the world (China, Babylon, India and Egypt; as put forward by Chinese scholar Liang Qichao in 1900)
四大文法 see styles	yondaibunpou / yondaibunpo よんだいぶんぽう	四大文法 Custom Scroll the four great Japanese grammar texts (Yamada, Matsushita, Hashimoto and Tokieda)
四大明王 see styles	sì dà míng wáng si4 da4 ming2 wang2 ssu ta ming wang shi daimyō ō	四大明王 Custom Scroll v. 大明王.
四大発明 see styles	yondaihatsumei / yondaihatsume よんだいはつめい	四大発明 Custom Scroll (hist) Four Great Inventions (of China: the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing)
四大發明四大发明 see styles	sì dà fā míng si4 da4 fa1 ming2 ssu ta fa ming	四大發明 Custom Scroll the four great Chinese inventions: paper, printing, magnetic compass and gunpowder
四大皆空 see styles	sì dà jiē kōng si4 da4 jie1 kong1 ssu ta chieh k`ung ssu ta chieh kung	四大皆空 Custom Scroll lit. the four elements are vanity (idiom); this world is an illusion
四大盆地 see styles	sì dà pén dì si4 da4 pen2 di4 ssu ta p`en ti ssu ta pen ti	四大盆地 Custom Scroll four great basin depressions of China, namely: Tarim 塔里木盆地 in south Xinjiang, Jungar 準葛爾盆地\|准葛尔盆地 and Tsaidam or Qaidam 柴達木盆地\|柴达木盆地 in north Xinjiang Sichuan 四川盆地
四大石窟 see styles	sì dà shí kū si4 da4 shi2 ku1 ssu ta shih k`u ssu ta shih ku	四大石窟 Custom Scroll the four great caves, namely: Longmen Grottoes 龍門石窟\|龙门石窟[Long2 men2 Shi2 ku1] at Luoyang, Henan, Yungang Caves 雲岡石窟\|云冈石窟[Yun2 gang1 Shi2 ku1] at Datong, Shanxi, Mogao Caves 莫高窟[Mo4 gao1 ku1] at Dunhuang, Gansu, and Mt Maiji Caves 麥積山石窟\|麦积山石窟[Mai4 ji1 Shan1 Shi2 ku1] at Tianshui, Gansu

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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title	Characters	Romaji (Romanized Japanese)	Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Shidai Sida Mahabhuta	四大	shi dai / shidai	sì dà / si4 da4 / si da / sida	ssu ta / ssuta
Earth Fire Water Air	四大元素	yondaigenso