高 (gāo) means "tall, high" with 10 strokes, radical 高 (tall), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: tall
Other meanings:
- high
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
高 is a pictograph of a tall building. Oracle bone and bronze forms depict a raised structure with a pointed or peaked roof, a central body representing the storey, an opening or door, and a base. Some scholars read it as a watchtower or a multi-storey ceremonial building on a platform.
Form evolution
The tiered-building shape is clearly visible in bronze and seal scripts, with the roof, upper chamber, and base all preserved as distinct components. Clerical script flattened the curves into straight strokes and regularised the structure into the form we use today. The modern 高 still reads top-down as roof, upper room, middle connector, lower room.
How the meaning evolved
From the concrete sense of a tall building, 高 generalised early to mean tall, high, elevated in any sense, physical or abstract. It extended to high in rank (高官), high in price (高价), high in quality (高级), and high in pitch or volume (高音). As a common surname Gāo it appears across Chinese history.
Cultural note
高 is the phonetic in a productive family of characters including 搞 do or make, 稿 draft or manuscript, and 膏 paste or ointment. The character's shape is sometimes used in graphic design to evoke traditional architecture because the tiered roof silhouette remains visually legible.
Mnemonic
A tall pavilion with an open gate — high
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | gāo |
| Meanings | tall, high |
| Stroke count | 10 strokes |
| Radical | 高 (#189: tall) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #36 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 高
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 高 | gāo | tall, high | HSK 2 |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy | HSK 1 |
| 提高 | tígāo | increase | HSK 3 |
| 高速公路 | gāosùgōnglù | Expressway | |
| 高级 | gāojí | senior | HSK 5 |
| 高档 | gāodàng | High-grade | HSK 5 |
| 崇高 | chónggāo | lofty, noble | HSK 7-9 |
| 高昂 | gāo'áng | high-spirited, high (price) | HSK 7-9 |
| 高超 | gāochāo | superb, excellent | HSK 6 |
| 高潮 | gāocháo | high tide, climax | HSK 7-9 |
| 高大 | gāodà | tall and big | HSK 5 |
| 高峰 | gāofēng | peak, summit | HSK 6 |
| 高考 | gāokǎo | college entrance exam | HSK 4 |
| 高明 | gāomíng | brilliant, wise | HSK 7-9 |
| 高强 | gāoqiáng | excellent, highly capable | |
| 高尚 | gāoshàng | noble, lofty | HSK 6 |
| 高速 | gāosù | high speed | HSK 4 |
Related characters
Similar meaning (abstract)
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.