大戦
たいせん · taisen · JLPT N3 · noun
world war i
⚔️ 大戦 = big (大) + war (戦): a big war is a great war
大 (tai/dai) means big or great, and 戦 (sen) means war or battle, as in 戦争 (sensō, war). 第二次世界大戦 is World War II. Hook: tai-sen sounds a bit like tied up in a big fight.
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.