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昂贵 (áng guì) — expensive, costly

Definition

A formal, written way to say 'expensive' — stronger and more literary than the everyday 贵. Used for prices, goods, or costs that are notably high.

adjective
expensivecostly

Examples

  • 昂贵。
    Zhè bù shǒu jī jià gé fēi cháng áng guì.
    The price of this phone is very expensive.
  • 昂贵。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de cài suī rán áng guì dàn hěn hǎo chī.
    The dishes at this restaurant are expensive but delicious.
  • 昂贵。
    Tā sòng le yí fèn áng guì de shēng rì lǐ wù.
    He gave an expensive birthday gift.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

昂ánghigh
贵guìexpensive

昂 'high' and 贵 'expensive' reinforce each other, giving costly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
卬
卬áng昂áng
Same sound today

昂 pairs 日 (sun) with 卬, a drawing of a standing man and a kneeling man that gives the sound.

Open 昂 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Money & Currency

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