甲高い

• Reading: かんだかい
• Romaji: kandakai
• Kanji breakdown: 甲 (kou/kan) — first, highest pitch (traditional music), shell; 高 (kou/taka) — high, tall
• Pronunciation: /kan.da.ka.i/

Meaning

Shrill; high-pitched; piercing. Describes a voice or sound that is notably high and sharp — often to an attention-grabbing or grating degree.

An i-adjective describing sounds — particularly voices — that are unusually high and sharp. The 甲 component originally referred to the first (highest) note in traditional Japanese music scales. Used in both literal descriptions of piercing voices or alarm sounds, and figuratively to describe anything that cuts sharply through surrounding noise.

Examples

1. 子どもの甲高い笑い声が公園に響き渡った。 The children's shrill laughter rang out across the park.
2. 甲高いサイレンの音で、住民たちは窓から外を見た。 At the sound of the piercing siren, residents looked out of their windows.
3. 彼女は甲高い声で名前を呼んだが、雑踏の中では届かなかった。 She called out his name in a high-pitched voice, but it couldn't reach him through the crowd.

Usage Guide

Context: sound, voice, description

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 甲 (the first/highest pitch in classical Japanese musical notation) and 高い (high). Originally referred to the highest musical note; later applied broadly to any shrill or piercing sound.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal