大変
たいへん · taihen · JLPT N5 · adverb
very
大変 = big (大) + change (変): a big upheaval is hard, very hard
大 means big and 変 means change or strange. A big change is a serious matter, so the word came to mean difficult or terrible, and as an adverb, very or extremely. Sound hook: taihen is a TIE-HEN, a tied-up hen is very hard to move.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.