高档

• Pinyin: gāo dàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 高 = pictograph of a tall building; 档 = 木 (wood) + 当 (should), meaning grade or level

Meaning

High-end; upscale; top-grade. Used for products or services of premium quality.

Describes luxury or premium items: 高档餐厅 (upscale restaurant), 高档小区 (luxury residential area), 高档商品 (premium goods). Often used in marketing and real estate. The opposite is 低档 (low-end) or 普通 (ordinary). Can sometimes carry a pretentious connotation depending on context.

Examples

1. 这家酒店是本市最高档的五星级酒店。 This hotel is the most upscale five-star hotel in the city.
2. 高档化妆品的价格是普通产品的好几倍。 High-end cosmetics are several times more expensive than ordinary products.
3. 他们搬进了城东的高档住宅区。 They moved into an upscale residential area in the east of the city.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, real estate, descriptions

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这是高档皮革制品。(This is a high-end leather product.)
• 他们喜欢去高档餐厅吃饭。(They like to eat at upscale restaurants.)

Don't Say

• 用高档形容人 (Don't use 高档 to describe people — it only applies to products, services, or places)

Origin & History

Compound of 高 (high, tall) + 档 (grade, level). 档 originally meant a crossbar, extended to mean grade or level.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal