高い|たかいtakai[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N5approx.Common
Definitions
  1. i-adjectivehigh; tall
    富士山ふじやまは日本にっぽんで一番いちばん高たかい山やまです。↗
    Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
  2. i-adjectiveexpensive; high-priced
    そんな高たかい車くるまを買かう余裕よゆうはありません。↗
    I can't afford to buy such an expensive car.
  3. i-adjectivehigh (level); above average (in degree, quality, etc.)
    The new production process achieves a high yield.
    銀行ぎんこうはリスクの高たかい顧客こきゃくへのローンには高たかい金利きんりをつける。↗
    Banks charge higher interest on loans to risky customers.
  4. i-adjectiveloud
  5. i-adjectivehigh-pitched; shrill
Conjugation
Plain form高い(たかい)
Polite (desu)高いです(たかいです)
Negative (kunai)高くない(たかくない)
polite (ku arimasen)高くありません(たかくありません)
Past (katta)高かった(たかかった)
Past negative (kunakatta)高くなかった(たかくなかった)
Te form (kute)高くて(たかくて)
Adverbial (ku)高く(たかく)
Conditional (kereba)高ければ(たかければ)
kattara高かったら(たかかったら)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym背が高いせがたかいNeutralSpecifically for a person's height — the fixed way to say someone is tall. 「高い」 itself also covers mountains, prices, levels and more.
  • Synonym高価こうかNeutralFor high prices and costly things, as in 「高価な宝石」; more formal than 「高い」 and used only of price.
  • Synonym高度こうどNeutralFor altitude or elevation, and for advanced, sophisticated levels, as in 「高度な技術」.
  • RelatedでかいCasualColloquial word for things big in size or scale, as in 「でかい家」. It stresses sheer bigness, not height or price.
  • Related甲高いかんだかいNeutralFor sharp, high-pitched sounds, as in 「甲高い声」, often with a piercing quality. 「高い声」 only says the pitch is high.
  • Related高等こうとうWrittenWritten/formal prose; indicates high rank or degree and appears mostly in compounds like 「高等教育」 and 「高等学校」.
  • Related高額こうがくNeutralFor large sums of money, as in 「高額商品」 or 「高額所得」. 「高い」 is more colloquial and covers a much wider range.
  • Related高尚こうしょうWrittenWritten/formal prose for refined character or taste, as in 「高尚な趣味」; it can sometimes carry an ironic nuance.
  • Related割高わりだかNeutralMeans relatively expensive for the quality or amount, as in 「少量だと割高だ」; the point is poor value for money.
  • Related高級こうきゅうNeutralCovers high class and quality, as in 「高級ホテル」; 「高い」 can also express quality or level being high.
  • Related高潔こうけつWrittenWritten/formal prose for noble, pure character, as in 「高潔な人物」.
  • Related崇高すうこうWrittenWritten/formal prose for awe-inspiring nobility, as in 「崇高な使命」; more solemn than 「高い」.
  • Related高貴こうきWrittenWritten/formal prose for noble birth or status, and also for precious, costly things, as in 「高貴な生まれ」.
  • Related気高いけだかいWrittenWritten/formal prose for noble, dignified character, as in 「気高い精神」.
  • Related甲走ったかんばしったCasualColloquial for a sharp, piercing voice, as in 「甲走った声」; comparatively rare.
  • Related高邁こうまいWrittenWritten/formal prose for lofty ideals or spirit, as in 「高邁な理想」; rarely heard in daily life.
  • RelatedのっぽCasualColloquial, teasing word for a tall, thin person, as in 「のっぽの兄」.
  • RelatedけたたましいCasualColloquial for a sudden, piercing, noisy sound, as in 「けたたましいベル」; the emphasis is on the racket.
  • Related高遠こうえんWrittenWritten/formal prose for lofty aspirations or ideals, as in 「高遠な理想」; very rarely used.
  • Antonym低いひくいNeutralAntonym for the height and degree senses of 「高い」: low in position or degree, or short in stature.
  • Antonym安いやすいNeutralAntonym for the price sense of 「高い」: cheap, low in cost.

Default to 「高い」 for high (height, degree) and expensive. Say 「背が高い」 for a person's height; 「高価」 for price in formal prose; 「高額」 for large sums; 「高級」 for class or grade; 「甲高い」 for sharp sounds; 「気高い」 or 「高潔」 for noble character. Written alternatives like 「高等」「高尚」「崇高」「高貴」「高邁」「高遠」 refine formal prose, colloquial 「でかい」「のっぽ」「けたたましい」 add casual color, 「割高」 flags poor value, and the antonyms are 「低い」 (low) and 「安い」 (cheap).

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 位置いちが基準面きじゅんめんよりも上うえにある。
  2. 物ものが上方かみがたに伸のびている。「山やまが高たかい」「背せが高たかい」
  3. 物ものが離はなれてはるか上うえにある。「空そらが高たかい」
  4. 【高たかい、貴とうとい】地位ちいが上うえにあり、優遇ゆうぐうされている。「貴とうとい待遇たいぐう」
  5. 音おとがはなはだしい。
  6. 高音こうおんである。「高たかい声こえ」
  7. 音おとが大おおきい。「声こえが高たかい」
  8. 広ひろく知しられている。「名高なだかい」「悪名あくめい高たかい」
  9. 数量すうりょうが大おおきい。
  10. 【高たかい、貴とうとい】値段ねだんが上うえである。多おおくの経費けいひを要ようする。「高たかい書物しょもつを買かう」
  11. 程度ていどを数値化すうちかした時ときに、その数値すうちが大おおきい。「気温きおんが高たかい」
  12. 【高たかい、崇たかしい】姿勢しせいや性質せいしつが優すぐれている。「崇たかしい理念りねんを持もつ」
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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