貴い (とうとい, toutoi) Japanese meaning: precious | Kotomora

貴とうとい

also: たっとい

と

う

と

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

貴い · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	貴とうとい	貴とうとくない
Polite	貴とうといです	貴とうとくないですalso 貴とうとくありません
Past polite	貴とうとかったです	貴とうとくなかったですalso 貴とうとくありませんでした
Past	貴とうとかった	貴とうとくなかった
Te-form	貴とうとくて	貴とうとくなくて
Adverbial	貴とうとく
Conditional	貴とうとければ	貴とうとくなければ
Tara conditional	貴とうとかったら	貴とうとくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

precious; valuable; priceless

Describes something of great worth, often emotionally or intrinsically, not just monetarily. Used for life, memories, time, etc.

命いのちは何なによりも尊とうとい

Kanji

尊revered, valuable, precious
貴precious, value, prize

Related words· 6

大たい切せつN5sense 1
大切 is the everyday word for something important or precious, while 貴い is more formal and adds a sense of inherent or sacred worth.
貴き重ちょうN3sense 1
貴重 stresses rarity and high value, often for objects or opportunities, whereas 貴い focuses on intrinsic, often non-material worth like life or time.
崇すう高こう sense 2
崇高 describes something lofty or sublime, usually ideals or virtues, while 貴い covers a wider range including simple preciousness as well as reverence.
神しん聖せいN1sense 2
神聖 means sacred or holy, tied to religious or ceremonial contexts, while 貴い can describe secular things like life or memories as well.

Show 2 more

高こう貴き
尊い emphasizes something as precious or worthy of reverence, such as life or sacrifice, while 高貴 focuses on noble rank or refined character.
聖せいなる
尊い emphasizes something's preciousness or nobility, whereas 聖なる specifically marks something as religiously holy or sacred.

Opposites

卑いやしいN1sense 2
卑しい describes something lowly, base, or unworthy of respect, the opposite of the noble, reverent sense of 貴い.
つまらないN5sense 1
つまらない describes something trivial or worthless, contrasting with 貴い's sense of great, often intangible, value.

Don't confuse with

尊そん敬けいN3
尊敬 is a noun/verb meaning 'to respect someone,' while 貴い is an adjective describing something as precious or noble; learners sometimes confuse them because they share the kanji 尊.
尊みこと
尊（みこと） is an archaic honorific suffix for gods and nobles, while 尊い is the common modern adjective meaning 'precious' or 'noble', sharing the same kanji but a different reading and function.

Word family

尊とうとぶN1
value; prize; esteem · respect; revere; look up to
尊とうと
value; preciousness; nobility
尊とうとき
precious; valuable; priceless · noble; exalted; sacred
尊とうとむ
value; prize; honor; respect · respect; revere; look up to

Written forms

貴いUsage14%
- たっとい
  Common kanji form; often read たっとい, but also read とうとい. High frequency in news.
- とうとい
尊いUsage80%

Etymology

Derived from the classical adjective 尊し/貴し (たふとし/たっとき). The kanji 尊 carries a nuance of reverence, while 貴 implies high value or nobility. The two readings とうとい and たっとい are both standard, with たっとい being a euphonic change from たふとい.

貴とうとい

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions