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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "expensive" in Japanese?
高価な
Koukaina
In Japanese, "expensive" is 高価な (Koukaina).
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Pronunciation
高価な is written using kanji. Romanised as Koukaina, it sounds roughly like "koh-kah-ee-nah" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
Kouka na (高価な) is a na-adjective with a formal tone. In daily conversation, takai (high/expensive) is much more common, though kouka na implies the item is rare or premium.
Example sentence
このバッグはとても高価です。
Kono baggu wa totemo kouka desu.
This bag is very expensive.
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How to remember 高価な
Kouka contains 高 (high) and 価 (price). High price equals expensive, making the compound easy to remember.
Related words
- twenty-four 二十四 nijūyon
- zero ゼロ zero
- snow 雪 yuki
- thirty-three 三十三 sanjūsan
- thirty-eight 三十八 sanjūhachi
- quiet 静かな shizuka na
- clear 晴れ hare
- twenty-six 二十六 nijūroku
- rain 雨 ame
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 高価な
How do you pronounce 高価な?
高価な is romanised as Koukaina. Say it roughly like "koh-kah-ee-nah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 高価な formal or casual?
高価な is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 高価な written in Japanese?
高価な is written using kanji. Kouka na (高価な) is a na-adjective with a formal tone.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"Expensive" in other languages
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