§ What Takai Means
Let's talk about the Japanese adjective たかい (takai). This is a really common and useful word, so pay attention. たかい means two main things: 'high' and 'expensive'. You'll hear it all the time, whether someone is talking about the height of a building or the price of something.
- Definition
- High; expensive.
The context usually makes it clear which meaning is being used. For example, if you're talking about a mountain, it's obviously 'high'. If you're talking about a car, it's probably 'expensive'. It's an い-adjective, which means it conjugates like other い-adjectives. This is a basic but essential word to learn.
§ When to Use Takai for 'High'
When you want to describe something that has great height, たかい is your word. Think about buildings, mountains, trees, or even the sky. Anything that extends a good distance upwards can be described with たかい. It's pretty straightforward.
あのやまはとてもたかいです。(Ano yama wa totemo takai desu.)
Hint: That mountain is very high.
たかいビルがたくさんあります。(Takai biru ga takusan arimasu.)
Hint: There are many high buildings.
§ When to Use Takai for 'Expensive'
This is another common usage. When something costs a lot of money, you use たかい to describe its price. This applies to pretty much anything you can buy: food, clothes, cars, houses, services, you name it. It's the direct opposite of やすい (yasui), which means 'cheap'.
このくるまはとてもたかいです。(Kono kuruma wa totemo takai desu.)
Hint: This car is very expensive.
えいがのチケットはたかいですか。(Eiga no chiketto wa takai desu ka?)
Hint: Are movie tickets expensive?
§ Context is Key
As mentioned, the situation usually tells you whether たかい means 'high' or 'expensive'. There's rarely confusion. If you're discussing the price of coffee, it's 'expensive'. If you're talking about a bird flying, it's 'high'.
- When talking about physical objects with height (mountains, towers, ceilings): 'high'.
- When talking about cost or price: 'expensive'.
It's pretty straightforward, but it's important to keep in mind. Don't try to find a hidden meaning; just look at what's being discussed.
§ Common Phrases with Takai
You'll hear たかい in many common phrases. Here are a few examples to get you started:
せがたかい (se ga takai): This specifically means 'tall' when referring to a person's height. You wouldn't use just たかい for a person's height, as that sounds a bit off. Use せがたかい.
かれはせがたかいです。(Kare wa se ga takai desu.)
Hint: He is tall.
ねだんがたかい (nedan ga takai): This explicitly means 'the price is expensive'. If you want to be very clear that you're talking about cost, you can use this phrase.
このレストランはねだんがたかいです。(Kono resutoran wa nedan ga takai desu.)
Hint: This restaurant's prices are high/expensive.
§ Practice and Use
The best way to master たかい is to use it. Try to describe things around you. Is your ceiling たかい? Is your phone たかい? Listen for it in Japanese media. You'll quickly get a feel for how and when it's used. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; that's how you learn.
Gramática que debes saber
い-adjectives like たかい directly precede the noun they modify without any particle. For example, 「たかいやま」 (a high mountain).
あのたかいビルは、このまちでいちばんたかいですか？ (Is that tall building the tallest in this city?)
To make an い-adjective negative, replace the final い with くない. So, たかい becomes たかくない (not high/expensive).
このTシャツはたかくないです。 (This T-shirt is not expensive.)
To connect an い-adjective to another clause or adjective, replace the final い with くて. For example, 「たかくておおきい」 (high and big).
あのマンションはたかくて、とてもべんりです。 (That apartment building is high/expensive and very convenient.)
When using たかい to describe something as 'high' in a physical sense, it refers to elevation or height. When describing something as 'expensive', it refers to price.
そのカメラはたかいですが、とてもいいです。(That camera is expensive, but it's very good.)
To make an い-adjective into an adverb, replace the final い with く. For example, たかい becomes たかく (highly/expensively). This is less common with たかい when it means 'expensive' but is used for 'high'.
鳥がたかく飛んでいます。(The bird is flying high.)
Ejemplos por nivel
その山はとてもたかいですね。
That mountain is very high, isn't it?
たかい modifies a noun (山) or is used with です/ます.
このパソコンはたかいですが、性能がいいです。
This computer is expensive, but its performance is good.
たかい can describe cost.
たかい建物がたくさんあります。
There are many tall buildings.
たかい directly precedes the noun it describes.
彼はたかい目標を持っています。
He has high goals.
たかい can be used metaphorically for goals or standards.
最近、野菜の値段がたかいです。
Recently, vegetable prices are high.
たかい used with '値段' (price).
たかい声で歌いました。
I sang in a high voice.
たかい can describe pitch (声).
そのブランドの服はたかいことで有名です。
That brand's clothes are famous for being expensive.
たかいこと is a nominalization meaning 'the fact of being high/expensive'.
富士山は日本で一番たかい山です。
Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
一番たかい means 'the highest'.
そのビルの高さは、東京タワーよりたかいですね。
The height of that building is higher than Tokyo Tower, isn't it?
Comparing heights using 'よりたかい'.
このパソコンは性能が良いので、少し値段がたかいです。
This computer has good performance, so the price is a little high.
Expressing a high price with '値段がたかい'.
彼はたかい目標を掲げ、毎日努力しています。
He set a high goal and is working hard every day.
'たかい目標' (high goal) as an abstract concept.
たかいところから景色を見るのが好きです。
I like looking at the scenery from high places.
'たかいところ' (high place) as a spatial reference.
あのブランドの服はたかいけれど、品質はとても良いです。
That brand's clothes are expensive, but the quality is very good.
Using 'たかいけれど' to show contrast between price and quality.
たかい声で歌うのが得意です。
I'm good at singing with a high voice.
'たかい声' (high voice) referring to pitch.
たかい地位に就くために、日々勉強を続けています。
To attain a high position, I continue studying every day.
'たかい地位' (high position) referring to social standing.
このレストランは料理の質がたかいので、いつも混んでいます。
This restaurant's food quality is high, so it's always crowded.
'質がたかい' (high quality) describing the standard of something.
Ponte a prueba 12 preguntas
Imagine you're shopping for groceries in Japan. Describe a situation where you might use the word たかい (takai) to refer to something being expensive. Include what you're looking at and why you think it's expensive. Write 2-3 sentences.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
このりんごはとてもたかいですね。一つ五百円もします。他の店の方が安いかもしれません。(These apples are very expensive, aren't they? One costs 500 yen. Other stores might be cheaper.)
You are describing a mountain to a friend. Use たかい to describe its height. What mountain are you talking about and what makes it seem tall? Write 2-3 sentences.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
富士山は日本で一番たかい山です。頂上はいつも雪で覆われています。(Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. The summit is always covered in snow.)
Write a short dialogue (2-3 exchanges) between two people discussing the price of something, where one person uses たかい to express that it's expensive. Ensure the context is clear.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
A: このカバン、かわいいね！(This bag is cute!) B: うん、でもちょっとたかいね。三万円もする。(Yeah, but it's a bit expensive, isn't it? It's 30,000 yen.) A: 本当だ。(You're right.)
この文章から、東京の何が高額だと述べられていますか？
Read this passage:
東京の物価はたかい。特に家賃や食料品は他の地域に比べてかなり高額だ。しかし、その分、賃金もたかい傾向があるため、生活水準は保たれていると言える。観光客にとっても、たかい交通費は負担になることが多い。
この文章から、東京の何が高額だと述べられていますか？
文章の冒頭で「特に家賃や食料品は他の地域に比べてかなり高額だ」と明記されています。(The beginning of the passage explicitly states that 'especially rent and groceries are quite expensive compared to other regions.')
文章の冒頭で「特に家賃や食料品は他の地域に比べてかなり高額だ」と明記されています。(The beginning of the passage explicitly states that 'especially rent and groceries are quite expensive compared to other regions.')
筆者が「たかい」と表現したのは何についてですか？
Read this passage:
私は最近、日本のアルプスをハイキングしました。途中で見た山々は、本当にたかくて、その壮大さに感動しました。頂上からの眺めは素晴らしく、この経験は一生忘れられないでしょう。
筆者が「たかい」と表現したのは何についてですか？
筆者は「途中で見た山々は、本当にたかくて、その壮大さに感動しました」と述べており、「たかい」は山々の高さを指しています。(The author states, 'The mountains I saw along the way were truly high, and I was moved by their grandeur,' indicating 'takai' refers to the height of the mountains.)
筆者は「途中で見た山々は、本当にたかくて、その壮大さに感動しました」と述べており、「たかい」は山々の高さを指しています。(The author states, 'The mountains I saw along the way were truly high, and I was moved by their grandeur,' indicating 'takai' refers to the height of the mountains.)
このホテルが「たかい」ことのマイナス面として、筆者は何を挙げていますか？
Read this passage:
このホテルはサービスも良く、部屋も広くて快適だが、宿泊費がかなりたかい。そのため、ビジネス出張には利用しやすいが、個人的な旅行では少し躊躇してしまう。コストパフォーマンスを考えると、もう少し安いホテルを選ぶ人もいるだろう。
このホテルが「たかい」ことのマイナス面として、筆者は何を挙げていますか？
文章には「個人的な旅行では少し躊躇してしまう」と書かれており、これが「たかい」ことによるマイナス面として挙げられています。(The passage states, 'I hesitate a little for personal travel,' which is given as a negative aspect due to it being 'takai.')
文章には「個人的な旅行では少し躊躇してしまう」と書かれており、これが「たかい」ことによるマイナス面として挙げられています。(The passage states, 'I hesitate a little for personal travel,' which is given as a negative aspect due to it being 'takai.')
この絵はとても美しいが、値段が___。 (This painting is very beautiful, but the price is ___.)
「値段がたかい」は「値段が高い」、つまり「価格が高い」という意味です。
彼の目標は常に___、どんな困難にも屈しない。 (His goals are always ___, and he never gives in to any difficulty.)
「目標がたかい」は「目標が高い」、つまり「目標が野心的である」という意味です。
あの山はとても___ので、登るには十分な準備が必要です。 (That mountain is very ___, so you need sufficient preparation to climb it.)
「山がたかい」は「山が高い」、つまり「標高が高い」という意味です。
「たかい声」は、声の高さが低いことを意味する。 ("Takai koe" means a low-pitched voice.)
「たかい声」は「高い声」、つまり「高音の声」を意味します。
この店のサービスは「たかい」と言うと、そのサービスが優れていることを意味する。 (If you say the service at this shop is "takai," it means the service is excellent.)
サービスに対して「たかい」を使う場合は、料金が高いという意味合いが強いです。サービスが優れていることを言う場合は「質が高い」や「素晴らしい」などを使います。
彼のプライドはとても「たかい」と言うと、彼が自尊心を持っていることを肯定的に表現している。 (Saying his pride is very "takai" expresses positively that he has self-esteem.)
「プライドがたかい」は「プライドが高い」、つまり「自尊心が高い」という意味で、この文脈では肯定的な意味で使われます。
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Contenido relacionado
Frases relacionadas
Más palabras de general
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
