大変

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 大変, read たいへん, can evaluate a situation as difficult or work adverbially as an intensifier.
• Basic usage: In 大変だった it describes difficulty; in 大変感謝している it intensifies gratitude.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Predicate versus intensifier
  • 大変だ can predicate that a situation is difficult. Before an expression such as 感謝している, it means very or extremely.
• Not always negative
  • The luggage example evaluates difficulty, but the gratitude example merely strengthens the degree and does not describe a bad event.