Chinese word

高昂

Pronunciation

Pinyingāo áng

Meaning

  • adjectivehigh

Example

这家店的价格高昂，我买不起。zhè jiā diàn de jià gé gāo áng wǒ mǎi bù qǐ

The prices at this store are high, and I can't afford them.

Illustration for 高昂 (high)

More examples

由于城市发展，很多地区的房租高昂，年轻人难以在市中心居住。yóu yú chéng shì fā zhǎn hěn duō dì qū de fáng zū gāo áng nián qīng rén nán yǐ zài shì zhōng xīn jū zhù

Because of the city's development, rents in many areas are high, making it hard for young people to live downtown.

Core concept

A cost rises far above the usual level and presses heavily on what people can afford.

Common phrases

  • 房租高昂fáng zū gāo áng

    high rent

  • 票价高昂piào jià gāo áng

    high fares

  • 学费高昂xué fèi gāo áng

    high tuition

Similar words

贵guì: Describes something that costs a lot of money in everyday talk about prices.
昂贵áng guì: Describes a price or purchase that requires a very large amount of money.
高价gāo jià: Describes a high price stated for an item in a sale or transaction.

Definition in Chinese

价格或费用等处于很高的水平，显著超过一般承受能力，给人沉重的负担感。jià gé huò fèi yòng děng chǔ yú hěn gāo de shuǐ píng xiǎn zhù chāo guò yì bān chéng shòu néng lì gěi rén chén zhòng de fù dān gǎn

Word origin

高 (gāo, "high") + 昂 (áng, "raised") creates the image of something lifted far above the normal level, giving 高昂 (gāoáng, "very high") its sense of an unusually costly price or fee.

Usage tips

  • 高昂 (gāoáng, "high and costly") often appears in reports and other formal descriptions, while everyday speech commonly uses a shorter expression when reacting to a price.

Other meanings

  • expensiveadjective
  • cost a lotverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word