How do you say "expensive" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "expensive" is 高価な (Koukaina). It is a adjective pronounced "koh-oo-kah-ee-nah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

高価な is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as Koukaina, it sounds roughly like "koh-oo-kah-ee-nah" to an English ear.

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.

Usage notes

Kouka na (高価な) is a na-adjective meaning expensive or high-priced. In daily conversation, takai (高い) is more commonly used. Kouka na has a slightly formal tone and often implies that something is rare or premium.

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Questions about 高価な

How do you pronounce 高価な?

高価な is romanised as Koukaina. Say it roughly like "koh-oo-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 na-adjective or noun-adjective. It is neutral in register and fits naturally in both casual and polite sentences. Add na before a noun, or use desu for a polite predicate.

How is 高価な written in Japanese?

高価な is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.