gou1 ngong4高昂
Jyutpinggou1 ngong4
Yalegōu ngòhng
Definition
Expensive or high-priced; or, of spirits and morale, high and enthusiastic.
- expensive; high-priced
- high; elevated; spirited; enthusiastic
writtenmoneydescriptions
How it's used
High register usage is typical for this term, as it sounds much more formal than the everyday word 貴. It is frequently encountered in news reports, financial analysis, or written documents to describe costs or fees. Using it in casual conversation can make you sound like you are reading a newspaper aloud or being intentionally dramatic.
Examples
Property prices are really very high nowadays.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a person's height, as 高昂 is strictly reserved for abstract values like price, cost, or sometimes the intensity of a mood or spirit.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
