高
gāo
The Chinese word for tall is 高 (gāo).
The word 高 (gāo) means tall and can be used to describe both people and objects. For different contexts, you may use other terms: 身材高大 (shēn cái gāo dà) means tall and robust and is used to describe athletes or individuals with a strong build, while 高个子 (gāo gè zi) is a casual way to say tall person. You can also use 高个子 (gāo gè zi) as a noun to refer to a tall person.
Meaning: of a person (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing a person's height, the adjective 高 is often used in combination with the noun 个子 (gèzi), meaning 'stature' or 'build'. Additionally, when using an adjective like 高 to describe a person, it is common to add an adverb of degree like 很 (hěn, very) before the adjective, even if you don't strictly mean 'very'.
How do you pronounce it?
gāo
Did you know?
- While 高 describes height, the word 长 (cháng) is used for 'long', but can describe a person's height if they are lying down.
- In Chinese, the word 高 describes both a person's height and a sound's pitch.
- The character 高 was originally a pictogram representing a tall building or structure.
Examples in context
- 她个子很高。She is tall.Tatoeba #8780264 by crescat, translation #8190292 by RobinvanderVliet
- 他长得高吗？Is he tall?Tatoeba #8866914 by crescat, translation #302406 by CK
- 这男人很高。The man is tall.Tatoeba #9961508 by GlossaMatik, translation #2983752 by ToxicFriu
- 他很高。He is tall.
- 这个楼很高。This building is tall.
- 他的身高有六英尺。His height is six feet.
- 他是个身材高大的篮球运动员。He is a tall and robust basketball player.
- 他是个高个子。He is a tall person.
- 108 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new coworker.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那个新同事很高。Nàge xīn tóngshì hěn gāo.That new colleague is very tall.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，他长得很高。Shì de, tā zhǎng de hěn gāo.Yes, he is very tall.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen看起来他很像个运动员。Kàn qǐlái tā hěn xiàng gè yùndòngyuán.He looks like an athlete.
- 俊杰 Junjie可能吧，他确实很高。Kěnéng ba, tā quèshí hěn gāo.Maybe, he certainly is very tall.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tall” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 高, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
