背が高い|せがたかいsegatakai

1. expression, i-adjectivetall (of a person)
   ジョンの方ほうが二人ふたりのうちで背せが高たかい。↗

   John is the taller of the two.

• Synonym高いたかいNeutralA very broad word for high, used of mountains, prices and more; it is not tied to a person's build the way 「背が高い」 is.
• RelatedでかいCasualColloquial for big or burly, with a wide range of uses; not specific to height, and it can sound casual or rough.
• Related大きいおおきいNeutralMeans big and can describe overall body size, as in 「体が大きい」; it does not single out height the way 「背が高い」 does.
• RelatedおっきいCasualA colloquial, childlike variant of 「大きい」; it just means big and, like 「大きい」, does not refer to height specifically.
• RelatedひょろひょろNeutralDescribes tottering movement or a thin, frail, spindly look; such a person is not necessarily tall, while 「背が高い」 speaks only of height.
• Relatedひょろ長いひょろながいNeutralDescribes someone or something long, slender and lanky, stressing thinness with a slightly negative nuance, as in 「ひょろ長い足」.
• RelatedのっぽCasualColloquial, teasing word for a tall, thin person, as in 「のっぽな人」; 「背が高い」 is a neutral way to describe height.
• Antonym背が低いせがひくいNeutralThe opposite of 「背が高い」: it describes someone as short, as in 「弟は背が低い」.

Use 「背が高い」 for neutral statements that someone is tall, as in 「彼は背が高い」. For tall and thin, say 「ひょろ長い」; for a tall person, 「のっぽ」. The rest describe size or build in general rather than height alone.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 人ひとの身長しんちょうが普通ふつうより大おおきい様子ようす。