高
tall; high
gāo
What does 高 mean?
高 (gāo) is the basic adjective for 'tall / high.' It covers physical height (a person, building, mountain), abstract level (high price, high standard, high temperature), and metaphorical 'high' in compounds (高兴 'happy / high-spirited'). One thing English speakers should know: Chinese uses the same word 高 for both 'tall' (a tall person) and 'high' (a high mountain) — there's no separate adjective. To ask someone's height, the standard question is 你多高？ ('How tall are you?'
). The opposite depends on context — 矮 (ǎi) for short people, 低 (dī) for low things or levels (低温, 'low temperature'). 高 is also a very common Chinese surname (the surname Gao). In compounds, 高 builds dozens of useful words: 高兴 (happy), 高考 (college entrance exam)
Character breakdown
tall; high; lofty
Memory hook: The character 高 itself looks tall — a stacked tower silhouette.
Example sentences
他很高。
Tā hěn gāo.
He's very tall.
spoken
你多高？
Nǐ duō gāo?
How tall are you?
spoken
这座山非常高。
Zhè zuò shān fēicháng gāo.
This mountain is extremely high.
neutral
今天的温度很高。
Jīntiān de wēndù hěn gāo.
Today's temperature is high.
neutral
我的弟弟比我高。
Wǒ de dìdi bǐ wǒ gāo.
My younger brother is taller than me.
spoken
Common phrases with 高
Synonyms
高大 ('tall and big') describes imposing physical size, usually for people or large structures (高大的男人, 'a tall and strong man'). Use 高 for plain height; 高大 adds bulk and impressiveness.
Don't confuse 高 with
搞 means 'to do / to make / to mess with' (搞工作, 'do work'). Looks similar but different character (扌 hand radical), different meaning, third tone instead of first.
告 means 'to tell / inform' (告诉, gàosu). Same general shape, different character and tone. 高 = tall; 告 = tell.
稿 means 'manuscript / draft' (稿子, gǎozi). Contains 高 as a phonetic component but is a different character.
FAQ
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