高い
たかい·takai
Meaning
expensive; high (price); tall; high (in position or level)
Nuance & Usage
高い has two main meanings: (1) expensive (価格が高い), and (2) tall/high in physical sense (山が高い). Context usually makes the meaning clear. Its antonyms differ: 安い (yasui — cheap) contrasts the price meaning, while 低い (hikui — low/short) contrasts the height meaning. Note: for people's height, 背が高い (se ga takai — to be tall) is the natural expression.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 高い for both expensive and tall without checking the context. In shopping contexts, 高い almost always means expensive; in physical descriptions, it means tall/high. A common error is using 高い for people's height without the proper noun: ✗ 彼は高い (ambiguous) ✓ 彼は背が高い (He is tall). Also, 物価が高い means "prices are high" (cost of living), not just one item being expensive.
Example Sentences (3)
このバッグは少し高いですね。
このばっぐはすこしたかいですね。
This bag is a little expensive, isn't it?
富士山は日本で一番高い山です。
ふじさんはにほんでいちばんたかいやまです。
Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan.
東京は物価が高い都市です。
とうきょうはぶっかがたかいとしです。
Tokyo is a city with high living costs.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N54 questionsTest your knowledge of 高い with 4 different question types.
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