高価い

Gikun spelling of 高価 (kōka, “expensive”, literally “high-priced”) + い (-i), as a more specific alternative to 高い (takai, “expensive; tall”).

• (Tokyo) たかい [tàkáꜜì] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠ka̠i]

高価(たか)い • (takai) -i (adverbial 高価(たか)く (takaku))

1. (nonstandard, literary) alternative spelling of 高い (takai, “expensive”)
   • 1976, Oda Sakunosuke, Seishun no gyakusetsu [Paradox of youth]‎^[1], chapter 1, part 2:

     安(やす)二(じ)郎(ろう)は痔(じ)をわずらっているので、電(でん)気(き)座(ざ)蒲(ぶ)団(とん)を使(つか)っている。その電(でん)気(き)代(だい)がたまったものではない。尻(けつ)に焼(や)けつく思(おも)いがするのだ。それを想(おも)えば、この上(じょう)灰(はい)にしかならぬ高価(たか)い炭(すみ)をうかうかと使(つか)ってなるものか。

     Yasujirō wa ji o wazuratteiru no de, denki zabuton o tsukatteiru. Sono denkidai ga tamatta mono de wa nai. Ketsu ni yaketsuku omoi ga suru no da. Sore o omoeba, kono jō hai ni shika naranu takai sumi o ukauka to tsukattenaru mono ka.

     Yasujiro has hemorrhoids, so he uses an electric heating pad. The electric bill is no small thing. He feels like his bottom is on fire. Considering that, isn't it like burning expensive charcoal only to produce high-quality ashes?

   • 2013, Nishizawa Yasuhiko, Hitsuzen to iu mei no gūzen [Coincidence called inevitability]‎^[2]:

     「そんなに高価(たか)いのか、これ」
     「高価(たか)いの高価(たか)くないの、世(せ)界(かい)で最(さい)高(こう)級(きゅう)の白(しろ)なんだぜ。稀(き)少(しょう)価(か)値(ち)も高(たか)いし。たしか二(に)、三(さん)年(ねん)ものでも十(じゅう)数(すう)万(まん)とか、平(へい)気(き)でする。ちなみにこれは、ええと―」

     “Sonnani takai no ka, kore”
     “Takai no takakunai no, sekai de saikōkyū no shiro nan da ze. Kishō kachi mo takai shi. Tashika ni, sannen mono de mo jūsūman to ka, heiki de suru. Chinami ni kore wa, ēto―”

     “Is it really that expensive?”
     “Expensive or not, this is the world’s finest white wine. Rare, too. Even a two or three year old bottle goes for hundreds of thousands. This one here is, um...”

   • 2025 May 4, Riko lapislazuli [username], Taittsuu‎^[3], archived from the original on 27 August 2025:

     お米(こめ)が高価(たか)いのはもうしょうがないと諦(あきら)めるけど、最(さい)近(きん)は買(か)いに行(い)ってもそもそもお米(こめ)が売(う)っていないか超(ちょう)品(しな)薄(うす)。

     Okome ga takai no wa mō shōganai to akirameru kedo, saikin wa kai ni itte mo somosomo okome ga utteinai ka chō-shinausu.

     I know that there is nothing we can do about the high price of rice, but recently when I go to buy it rice is unavailable or in very short supply.