高い and 安い: price, height and opposites

The idea

For prices, 高い and 安い contrast: この時計は高いです, この野菜は安いです. Both are い-adjectives: 高くありません means “not expensive” and 安かった means “was inexpensive”. For physical height, the usual opposite of 高い is 低い.

Examples

• この時計とけいは高たかいです。This watch is expensive.
• この野菜やさいは安やすいです。These vegetables are inexpensive.
• その靴くつは高たかくありません。Those shoes are not expensive.
• きのうのパンは安やすかったです。Yesterday’s bread was inexpensive.
• あの山やまは高たかいです。That mountain is high.
• この椅子いすは低ひくいです。This chair is low.

Watch out

Not expensive does not necessarily mean cheap. A low mountain is 低い, not 安い; context determines whether 高い means expensive or high.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the adjective for an expensive watch. この時計とけいは＿＿です。（高たかい／安やすい）

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   高い

   高い describes the watch as expensive.

2. Choose the adjective for inexpensive vegetables. この野菜やさいは＿＿です。（高たかい／安やすい）

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   安い

   安い describes vegetables as inexpensive.

3. Choose the adjective for a low chair. この椅子いすは＿＿です。（高たかい／低ひくい）

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   低い

   低い contrasts with 高い for the chair’s physical height.

Use it today

Compare the prices of two things, then describe a high mountain and a low chair.