Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "高い" vs "安い"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
高い
たかい (takai)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
安い
やすい (yasui)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 高い and 安い are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
高い (たかい (takai)) represents "high, expensive" (Level: N4) and typically represents Can refer to physical height, price, or social status. Context determines meaning..
On the other hand, 安い (やすい (yasui)) translates to "cheap, inexpensive" (Level: N4) and is used for Refers to low price. Opposite of 「高い」 when talking about cost.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "高い"
この山の頂上はとても高いです。
The peak of this mountain is very high.
Bilingual Sentence for "安い"
このスーパーは野菜が安いです。
Vegetables are cheap at this supermarket.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この山の頂上はとても ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "The peak of this mountain is very high.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "高い" fits here because it represents "high, expensive" in the context: "The peak of this mountain is very high.".