高 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 高 is about things being high up or a lot of something. In Japanese that one idea stretches across three English words: a tall building is 高い, a high mountain is 高い, and even an expensive price is 高い — because the number is high. So when you learn 高い, you actually get "tall," "high," and "expensive" in a single package.
You'll also meet 高 as a building block in compound words, where it keeps the "high" flavor: 高校 ("high school"), 最高 ("the highest / the best"), and 高速 ("high speed"). Whenever you spot 高 in an unfamiliar word, you can safely guess it has something to do with height, level, or degree.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | たか.い | 高い (tall / high / expensive), 高さ (height) |
| on'yomi | コウ | 高校 (high school), 高校生 (high school student), 最高 (the best), 高速 (high speed) |
Here's the rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi (たか.い) shows up when the kanji stands more or less alone with hiragana endings, while the on'yomi (コウ) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 高い uses たか.い, but 高校 uses コウ. Catch that pattern early and you'll guess readings for kanji you haven't even studied yet.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 10, written top to bottom — start with the small top stroke and lid, then work down through the boxy middle and the lower frame with its little "mouth" inside.
- Radical: 高 is its own radical, the "tall" radical (たか). The shape is meant to picture a tall building or watchtower standing above a gateway — a fitting image for a kanji all about height.
Recognizing the overall picture helps a lot here: think of a tall tower seen from the street, layered floor on floor, and the stacked boxes of 高 start to make visual sense.
Common words using 高
Notice the reading split in action: the lone adjective 高い and the noun 高さ take たか.い, while every two-kanji compound (高校, 高校生, 最高, 高速) flips to コウ. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
この ビルは とても 高いです。
この ビルは とても たかいです。
This building is very tall.
高い — the kun'yomi たか.い reading (here it means 'tall').
ヤッタンの 弟は 高校生です。
ヤッタンの おとうとは こうこうせいです。
Yattan's little brother is a high school student.
高校生 uses the on'yomi コウ in a compound.
モチは「この ケーキは ちょっと 高いね」と 言いました。
モチは「この ケーキは ちょっと たかいね」と いいました。
Mochi said, This cake is a little expensive.
Same word 高い, but here たか.い means 'expensive' — the price is high.
Quick recap
- 高 = tall / high / expensive; 10 strokes; it's the "tall" radical itself.
- たか.い when it stands alone (高い, 高さ); コウ in compounds (高校, 最高, 高速).
- The single adjective 高い covers all three English meanings, so let context tell you which one fits.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 高 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 高 in 高い vs 高校?
In 高い it's the kun'yomi たか (高い = たかい, 'tall / high / expensive'). In 高校 it's the on'yomi コウ (高校 = こうこう, 'high school'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
Why does 高い mean both 'tall' and 'expensive'?
In Japanese the one idea of 'high' covers both physical height and a high price. A tall building is 高い, and an expensive item is also 高い because its number is high. Context tells you which meaning is intended.
How many strokes does 高 have?
高 has 10 strokes. It is also its own radical, the 'tall' radical (たか), pictured as a tall building or tower.
What does 最高 mean?
最高 (さいこう) literally means 'the highest' and is used to say 'the best' or 'maximum.' It pairs 最 ('most') with 高 ('high'), both read with on'yomi.