The big time is the top: the place where you are famous or important enough that many people know your name. People say it most about films, music, sport, and shows — a singer who fills a hall, an actor on the big screen — but you will hear it in politics and business too.

The big time isthe big time 指的是 the top頂端：the place where也就是 you are famous or important enough你紅到、或重要到 that many people know your name讓很多人都知道你名字的那個地方。People say it most about人們最常用這個詞來說 films, music, sport, and shows電影、音樂、體育和演藝圈—— a singer who fills a hall能坐滿全場的歌手、an actor on the big screen登上大銀幕的演員——but you will hear it in politics and business too不過政治和商業界也聽得到。

It is informal. A magazine might write that someone has hit the big time; a law paper would not.

It is informal這是口語用法。A magazine might write雜誌可能會寫 that someone has hit the big time某人 hit the big time（一炮而紅）；a law paper would not但法律論文不會這樣寫。

You often meet it in set phrases: hit the big time, make it to the big time, a big-time star.

You often meet it in set phrases你常會在固定用法裡看到它：hit the big timehit the big time（一炮而紅）、make it to the big timemake it to the big time（擠進一線）、a big-time stara big-time star（大牌明星）。

Though actually the same spelling also turns up in speech as a way of saying “very much” or “in a big way” (that hurt big-time), which is a stretch of the same idea, not this sense. The hyphen is common when it sits in front of a noun; as a name for that top level, many people still write the big time as two words.

Though actually不過其實，the same spelling also turns up in speech同樣的拼法也會出現在口語裡 as a way of saying "very much" or "in a big way"用來表示『非常』或『很嚴重』 (that hurt big-time)（that hurt big-time／那超痛的），which is a stretch of the same idea這是同一個概念的延伸用法，not this sense不是這裡講的意思。when it sits in front of a noun放在名詞前面時，The hyphen is common通常會加連字號；as a name for that top level但當作那個『頂端』的名稱時，many people still write很多人還是會寫成 the big time as two words兩個字 the big time。