贵

• Pinyin: guì
• Hanzi breakdown: 贵 = upper component + 贝 (shell/money) — something of high value

Meaning

Expensive; costly. Describes something with a high price.

Used for the price of goods and services. Also appears in the polite expression 贵姓 (What is your surname?, literally 'your noble surname'). The opposite is 便宜 (cheap).

Examples

1. 这件衣服太贵了。 This piece of clothing is too expensive.
2. 北京的房子很贵。 Houses in Beijing are very expensive.
3. 这个不贵，很便宜。 This one isn't expensive, it's very cheap.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个多少钱？太贵了！(How much is this? Too expensive!)
• 请问，您贵姓？(May I ask your surname? — polite form)

Don't Say

• 这个人很贵。(People are not 贵 — use 贵 for prices only)

Origin & History

The character 贵 contains 贝 (shell/money) at the bottom, reflecting that shells were ancient currency — something of high monetary value.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal