高 — Kanji Reference

高 (high, expensive): 10 strokes, JLPT N5. On: コウ. Kun: たか-い、たか.

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高

Property Value
Meaning high, expensive
Strokes 10
JLPT Level N5
On-reading (音読み) コウ
Kun-reading (訓読み) たか-い、たか
Radical 高 (たか・い) [U+9AD8]

Stroke Order

The kanji 高 is written in 10 strokes. Follow the standard rule of top-to-bottom, left-to-right:

  1. Stroke 1: The top dot (center).
  2. Stroke 2: The horizontal line (top of the "mouth" structure).
  3. Stroke 3: The left vertical line of the "mouth".
  4. Stroke 4: The right corner (horizontal then vertical).
  5. Stroke 5: The bottom horizontal line of the "mouth".
  6. Stroke 6: The top horizontal line of the bottom section.
  7. Stroke 7: The vertical line (left side).
  8. Stroke 8: The hook (right side, curving inward).
  9. Stroke 9: The left "wing" (short stroke).
  10. Stroke 10: The right "wing" (short stroke).

Radical Analysis

The radical for 高 is itself: 高 (たか・い). Originally, this kanji was a pictograph of a tall, multi-storied building or watchtower. The top part represents the roof and structure, while the bottom part represents the foundation and the height of the building. Because buildings that are "tall" are often grand or prestigious, the meaning extended to "expensive" (high price).

Mnemonic

Imagine a tall castle tower. The top part (亠) is the roof, the middle (口) is a window, and the bottom (冂 + 口) is the massive foundation. If you want to stay in such a high tower, it will be very expensive!

On-readings (音読み) with Examples

コウ (Kō)

Word Reading Romaji English
高校 こうこう kōkō High school
高速 こうそく kōsoku High speed
最高 さいこう saikō The best / Highest
高度 こうど kōdo Altitude / Degree

Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples

たか-い (Taka-i)

Word Reading Romaji English
高い たかい takai High / Expensive
背が高い せがたかい se ga takai Tall (stature)

たか (Taka)

Word Reading Romaji English
高値 たかね takane High price
高見 たかみ takami High place / Vantage point

JLPT N5 Words Using 高

Word Reading Romaji English JLPT
高い たかい takai High / Expensive N5
高校生 こうこうせい kōkōsei High school student N5
最高 さいこう saikō The best N4
高速道路 こうそくどうろ kōsoku dōro Expressway N4
高橋 たかはし takahashi Takahashi (Surname) N5
高度 こうど kōdo Altitude N3
高価 こうか kōka Expensive N3
高齢 こうれい kōrei Advanced age N3

Example Sentences

Japanese Reading Romaji English
この本はとても高いです。 このほんはとてもたかいです。 Kono hon wa totemo takai desu. This book is very expensive.
彼は背が高いです。 かれはせがたかいです。 Kare wa se ga takai desu. He is tall.
私は高校生です。 わたしはこうこうせいです。 Watashi wa kōkōsei desu. I am a high school student.
今日は最高の日です。 きょうはさいこうのひです。 Kyō wa saikō no hi desu. Today is the best day.
高速道路で帰ります。 こうそくどうろでかえります。 Kōsoku dōro de kaerimasu. I will go home via the expressway.
山が高いです。 やまがたかいです。 Yama ga takai desu. The mountain is high.

Common Confusion Pairs

Kanji Reading Meaning How to distinguish
高 コウ High Has the "mouth" (口) in the middle.
京 キョウ Capital Has a "small" (小) component on top of the mouth.
  • 高 (High) vs 京 (Capital): While they share the bottom structure, the top of 高 is a roof-like structure, whereas 京 features the character for "small" (小) at the top.

Usage Frequency Note

高 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears daily in news, academic settings (高校), and commerce (prices). It is essential for both formal writing and casual conversation.