你的身高
nǐ de shēn gāo
The Chinese phrase for "your height" is 你的身高 (nǐ de shēn gāo).
你的身高 refers to the measurement of how tall a person is from the base of their feet to the top of their head. While 你的身高 is a noun phrase, if you want to ask someone "How tall are you?" in a natural conversation, it is more common to use the phrase 你有多高？ The unit 厘米 (lìmǐ) can be omitted if the context is already clear.
What does it mean word for word?
The term for height, 身高, is composed of two parts: 身 (shēn), meaning body and 高 (gāo), meaning tall or high.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ de shēn gāo
Did you know?
- The character 高 is a pictograph that originally depicted a tall building or a ladder, which is why it is used to form the word for height.
- In some formal medical contexts, height is referred to as 身长 ('shēn cháng'), which literally means 'body length', especially when measuring infants who cannot stand.
- The character 身 in 身高 also appears in the word for 'identity' (身份), suggesting a linguistic link between one's physical body and their social status.
Examples in context
- 我的身高是 __cm。My height is __ cm.
- 请问您的身高是多少？May I ask what is your height?
- 你有多高啊?How tall are you?
- 你的身高是多少？nǐ de shēn gāo shì duō shǎo?What is your height?
- 你的身高很惊人。nǐ de shēn gāo hěn jīng rén.Your height is amazing.
- 请告诉我你的身高。qǐng gào sù wǒ nǐ de shēn gāo.Please tell me your height.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about sports requirements.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，你的身高是多少？Hàorán, nǐ de shēngāo shì duōshǎo?Haoran, what is your height?
- 浩然 Haoran我身高一米八五。Wǒ shēngāo yī mǐ bā wǔ.I am one meter eighty-five.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen哇，你真的很高！Wa, nǐ zhēnde hěn gāo!Wow, you are really tall!
- 浩然 Haoran谢谢，这在打球时很有帮助。Xièxiè, zhè zài dǎqiú shí hěn yǒu bāngzhù.Thanks, this is very helpful when playing ball.
