dà dōu
for the most part; mostly
大都会的生活节奏很快。
Dàdūshì de shēnghuó jízòu hěn kuài.
The pace of life in the metropolis is very fast.
北京是大都之一。
Běijīng shì dàdū zhī yī.
Beijing is one of the metropolises.
上海是大都市，人口众多。
Shànghǎi shì dàdūshì, rénkǒu zhòngduō.
Shanghai is a metropolis with a large population.
北京 (Běijīng)
Beijing
燕京 (Yānjīng)
Yanjing
小县 (xiǎoxiàn)
small county
乡村 (xiāngcūn)
countryside
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The Chinese word 大都 (dà dū) literally means "great capital" and refers to Beijing, the capital of China. The character 大 (dà) means "big", "great", or "important", while 都 (dū) means "capital" or "metropolis". The term 大都 was first used during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when Beijing served as the capital of the Mongol-led empire. Before that, Beijing was known as 燕京 (Yānjīng) or 中都 (Zhōngdū). The name 大都 was chosen to reflect the city's status as the primary capital of the Yuan Dynasty, surpassing the former capital, Karakorum, in Mongolia. After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, the city's name was changed back to 北京 (Běijīng), which is still its official name today.
