贵 (guì)

An adjective meaning "expensive" or "costly" when describing prices, and "precious" or "honorable" in more formal contexts. In daily shopping conversations, 贵 is one of the most practical adjectives to know. Its antonym is 便宜 (piányí), meaning "cheap."

Meanings

[adjective] Expensive, costly (in price).
[adjective] Precious, valuable, honored (in formal use).

Example Sentences

这件衣服太贵了。 Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le. This piece of clothing is too expensive.

这家餐厅的菜很贵。 Zhè jiā cāntīng de cài hěn guì. The dishes at this restaurant are very expensive.

贵姓？免贵姓李。 Guì xìng? Miǎn guì xìng Lǐ. What is your honorable surname? My humble surname is Li.

这个东西贵，但是质量很好。 Zhège dōngxi guì, dànshì zhìliàng hěn hǎo. This thing is expensive, but the quality is very good.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
太贵了	too expensive
贵不贵	is it expensive?
便宜一点	a little cheaper
贵重	valuable, precious
贵姓	honorable surname (polite)
物贵	goods are expensive

Memory Hook

Antonym of 便宜 (piányí, cheap). 贵 has the 贝 (shell/money) radical at the bottom — in ancient China, shells were money. When the shell component is large, the price is high.