High-priced goods, valuables, or elevated social rank.
Expensive, precious, noble, or "your" (polite). A basket heaped with cowrie shells (贝, ancient money) signals high value.
贵
Common Usage & Traps
- 太贵了 — too expensive
- 很贵 — very expensive
- 贵不贵 — expensive or not?
- 有点儿贵 — a bit expensive
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贵钱贵贵 already means 'expensive'; adding 钱 (money) is redundant and unnatural.
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很贵的钱很贵You don't say 'very expensive money'; just use 很贵 to describe something as expensive.
Is 贵 always about price, or can it mean something else?
贵 primarily means 'expensive', but it also appears in the polite phrase 贵姓 (your honorable surname).
In everyday HSK 1 contexts, 贵 is used to describe high prices. However, in formal or polite speech, 贵 can mean 'honorable' and is used in phrases like 贵姓 to ask someone's surname respectfully. Don't confuse the two meanings.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | expensive (price) | honorable (in 贵姓) |
| Usage | 这个太贵了。 | 您贵姓？ |
| Context | shopping, daily life | formal introduction |
How do I distinguish 贵 from 柜?
贵 (guì) means 'expensive'; 柜 (guì) means 'cabinet' or 'counter'.
Both characters are pronounced guì, but they have different meanings and radicals. 贵 has the 贝 (shell/money) radical, relating to value. 柜 has the 木 (wood) radical, relating to wooden furniture. Remember: 贝 for money, 木 for wood.
| Dimension | 贵 | 柜 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | expensive | cabinet, counter |
| Radical | 贝 (shell/money) | 木 (wood) |
| Example | 这个很贵。 | 书在柜子里。 |
Appears in Stories 6 stories
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
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我的男友说：“那个桌子和椅子有点儿 太贵了 。
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那些桌子、椅子什么的，这个星期都便宜了，都不 贵 。”
Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.
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贵 不 贵 ？
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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大苹果很便宜，小苹果很 贵 。
This humorous dialogue follows a man who spends all his savings on his girlfriend's Apple phone and a lucky number, leaving him broke. A fun read for HSK 3 learners.
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一个苹果能有多 贵 ？
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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看病非常 贵 ，吃饭不便宜。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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苹果十九很 贵 ，八千七百多块钱。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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