The word "大自然" is formed by combining the character "大" (dà), meaning "big" or "great", with the compound "自然" (zìrán), which means "nature". "自然" itself consists of "自" (zì), meaning "self", and "然" (rán), meaning "so" or "thus", together conveying the idea of "self-so" or the natural state. Therefore, "大自然" literally translates to "great nature", referring to the broad concept of the natural world.