How to Say "Tall Man" in Japanese

背の高い男性

se no takai dansei

The English phrase "tall man" is translated into Japanese as 背の高い男性 (se no takai dansei).

This phrase is used to describe a man who has a greater height than average.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of se (stature/height), no (possessive particle), takai (high/tall) and dansei (man/male).

While se no takai is used to modify a noun (like "tall man"), se ga takai is the standard way to say "is tall" in a complete sentence.

se no takai dansei

While takai means 'tall', it also means 'expensive'. In a conversation about people, context prevents confusion, but calling a person takai without mentioning se can sound like you are calling them high-priced.
In Japanese, the concept of height is tied to the word 背 (se), which refers to the back or the spine rather than a vertical line.
If you want to describe a man as 'tall' in a casual setting, you might use the word デカい (dekai) instead of 背が高い, though this can imply he is 'huge' or 'bulky'.

背の高い男性でした。
He was a tall man.
This sentence is useful for describing a person using the form 背の高い男性.
Tatoeba #2327945 by bunbuku, translation #301645 by CK
彼女はきのう背の高い男性を見ました。
She saw a tall man yesterday.
This sentence is useful for describing an action involving the form 背の高い男性.
Tatoeba #92975 by bunbuku, translation #310734 by CK
あの背の高い男性は誰ですか。
Ano se no takai dansei wa dare desu ka.
Who is that tall man?

Yui and Hiroto are looking for their friend in a crowd.

結衣 Yui

あそこに背の高い男性がいますね。
Asoko ni se no takai dansei ga imasu ne.
There is a tall man over there.
大翔 Hiroto

あの方は彼でしょうか。
Ano kata wa kare deshou ka.
Is that person him?
結衣 Yui

はい、彼だと思います。
Hai, kare da to omoimasu.
Yes, I think it's him.
大翔 Hiroto

わかりました。行ってみましょう。
Wakarimashita. Itte mimashou.
I see. Let's go see.

Sources

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