Usage patterns 高こう 価か な 〈 物もの 〉 an expensive/valuable item
She received an expensive ring.
〈 物もの 〉 が 高こう 価か になる for something to become expensive
This material has become expensive in recent years.
〈 物もの 〉 は 高こう 価か だ used to state that something is expensive/valuable
This painting is extremely valuable.
Related words· 6 高い is the everyday, versatile word for 'expensive' (and 'tall/high'), while 高価 is a more formal, written term used specifically for monetary value.
高額 emphasizes a large sum of money (e.g. a high price tag or amount), whereas 高価 focuses on the item's high value or quality.
貴重 stresses that something is precious or valuable (not necessarily in money), while 高価 specifically means costly in price.
高価 focuses on a high price tag, while 高級 emphasizes overall class or quality, which is often but not always expensive.
Show 2 more Show fewer 高価 describes an item as being costly or valuable in general, while 高値 specifically names a high price level, often in market or trading contexts.
高価 is a formal word for something being expensive in absolute terms, whereas 割高 focuses on the price being unreasonably high compared to value.
Opposites low-priced; cheap; inexpensive · shallow; superficial; cheap (figurative) · link back (internet slang)
高価 means 'expensive' or 'high-priced', the direct opposite of 廉価 's 'low-priced'.
高価 describes something expensive or costly, the opposite of 手ごろ , which describes a reasonable, affordable price.
Don't confuse with 高価 (expensive) and 高架 (elevated) are pronounced identically but have completely unrelated meanings.
高価 simply means expensive in price, while 高貴 (in its 'precious' sense) implies refined, noble quality beyond mere cost, and the two are easily confused since both begin with 高 .
高価 (expensive, high-priced) shares the same pronunciation as 効果 but describes cost, not result.
高価 shares the same reading こうか as 降下 but means expensive or costly, unrelated to descent.
Written forms 高こう 価か Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
こうか Usage 1%
Etymology Compound of 高 (high) and 価 (value, price).
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