How to Say It's Expensive in Japanese: Takai, Discounts and Cheaper Options

Takai means expensive, but how you say it in a Japanese shop decides whether you sound like a thoughtful customer or a rude one.

9 min read

Start speaking free
What you need to know

How to Say It's Expensive in Japanese: Takai, Discounts and Cheaper Options

The basic word for expensive in Japanese is takai, and the polite form is takai desu. Among friends, takai! or takasugi, way too expensive, is completely natural. In a shop, though, Japanese speakers soften it: chotto takai desu ne, it's a little pricey, is the usual way to hint that a price is more than you want to pay. From there you can ask for mō sukoshi yasui no, something a bit cheaper, or check whether there is a waribiki, a discount. This guide covers casual, polite and formal ways to talk about prices, what shop staff usually say back, where bargaining is and is not normal in Japan, and the mistakes that make learners sound either blunt or confused.

Takai means expensive; casually, takai! or takasugi are very common

In shops, soften it: chotto takai desu ne, it's a little pricey

Ask mō sukoshi yasui no wa arimasu ka for a cheaper option

Most Japanese shops have fixed prices; bargaining is limited to a few settings

Takai: the basic word for expensive

高い (takai) is an i-adjective meaning expensive. It also means high or tall, so takai yama is a high mountain and takai tatemono a tall building. When the topic is money, though, everyone hears it as expensive. Add desu for polite speech: takai desu. The past form is takakatta, it was expensive.

The quickest casual reaction is simply takai! with a rising tone, or takasugi, a shortened form of takasugiru, too expensive. Young people also say takē, a rough, drawn-out version you will hear among friends but should not use with strangers.

Mochi, Unihongo's mascot, guides a Japanese learning map for How to Say It's Expensive in Japanese: Takai, Discounts and Cheaper Options: 高い, 思っ, 高かっ.
A visual learning path for How to Say It's Expensive in Japanese: Takai, Discounts and Cheaper Options, with three key Japanese study points.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
高い！Takai!That's expensive!
高すぎ！Takasugi!Way too expensive!
高いですね。Takai desu ne.It's expensive, isn't it?
思ったより高かった。Omotta yori takakatta.It was more expensive than I thought.
東京は家賃が高い。Tōkyō wa yachin ga takai.Rent is expensive in Tokyo.
ちょっと手が出ない。Chotto te ga denai.It's a bit out of my price range.

Saying it politely in a shop

Telling a shop assistant takai desu is not wrong, but it can sound like a complaint about their prices. Japanese speakers usually soften it with chotto, a little, and ne, which invites agreement: chotto takai desu ne. The meaning is clear, and it leaves room for the assistant to suggest something else.

Another common approach is to talk about your budget rather than the price. Yosan ga, the budget, followed by a trailing pause, is a very Japanese way to say it is more than you planned to spend.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
ちょっと高いですね。Chotto takai desu ne.It's a little pricey.
予算オーバーです。Yosan ōbā desu.It's over my budget.
予算は一万円ぐらいなんですが。Yosan wa ichiman-en gurai nan desu ga.My budget is around ten thousand yen, though.
もう少し考えます。Mō sukoshi kangaemasu.I'll think about it a bit more.
今回はやめておきます。Konkai wa yamete okimasu.I'll pass this time.

Asking for something cheaper

If the price is too high, ask for an alternative. The key phrase is もう少し安いのはありますか (mō sukoshi yasui no wa arimasu ka), is there a slightly cheaper one? The no here means one, so you can swap in other adjectives: chiisai no, a smaller one, or betsu no iro, a different colour.

Comparing prices is also easy with dochira ga yasui desu ka, which one is cheaper? Shop staff in Japan are generally happy to explain the differences between models or sizes.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
もう少し安いのはありますか。Mō sukoshi yasui no wa arimasu ka.Do you have a slightly cheaper one?
一番安いのはどれですか。Ichiban yasui no wa dore desu ka.Which is the cheapest?
どちらが安いですか。Dochira ga yasui desu ka.Which one is cheaper?
値段の違いは何ですか。Nedan no chigai wa nan desu ka.What's the difference in price?
これはいくらですか。Kore wa ikura desu ka.How much is this?
税込みですか。Zeikomi desu ka.Does that include tax?

Discounts and sales: waribiki and more

割引 (waribiki) means discount. Waribiki wa arimasu ka, is there a discount?, is a normal question in many settings, especially for students, children, groups or members. Japanese uses wari for ten percent units: ichiwari biki is ten percent off, niwari biki twenty percent off. You will also see percentages and the word OFF on signs.

Supermarkets often put stickers on food near its best-before time in the evening, marked hangaku, half price, or with a yen amount off. Sēru is a sale, and tokka means a special price.

WordRomajiMeaning
割引waribikiDiscount
2割引niwari biki20 percent off
半額hangakuHalf price
セールsēruSale
特価tokkaSpecial price
学割gakuwariStudent discount
ポイントカードpointo kādoPoints card
値下げnesagePrice reduction

At the till, staff often ask pointo kādo wa o-mochi desu ka, do you have a points card? A simple nai desu or daijōbu desu, no thanks, is enough.

Where bargaining is and isn't normal

Japan is mostly a fixed-price country. In supermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, restaurants, chain shops and most small businesses, asking for a lower price will usually just cause confusion or an apologetic no. Taxi fares, train tickets and restaurant bills are not negotiable.

There are exceptions. At flea markets, called furīma, and some antique or second-hand markets, a polite request for a small reduction is normal, particularly towards the end of the day or when buying several items. In large electronics retailers, customers sometimes ask about price matching with a competitor or whether any discount is possible on an expensive item; whether staff can help depends on the shop's policy. Practices vary, so ask once, politely, and accept the answer.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
もう少し安くなりませんか。Mō sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka.Could it be a little cheaper?
二つ買うので、少し安くしてもらえますか。Futatsu kau node, sukoshi yasuku shite moraemasu ka.I'm buying two, so could you lower the price a bit?
他の店ではもう少し安かったんですが。Hoka no mise de wa mō sukoshi yasukatta n desu ga.It was a bit cheaper at another shop, though.
これ以上は難しいですか。Kore ijō wa muzukashii desu ka.Is that as low as you can go?
じゃあ、それでお願いします。Jā, sore de o-negai shimasu.OK, I'll take it at that price.

What shop staff say back

When you say something is a little expensive, staff usually respond by offering alternatives, explaining the quality, or apologising that they cannot lower the price. Recognising these replies helps you keep the conversation going.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
こちらはいかがですか。Kochira wa ikaga desu ka.How about this one?
こちらの方がお手頃です。Kochira no hō ga o-tegoro desu.This one is more reasonably priced.
申し訳ございませんが、値引きはできかねます。Mōshiwake gozaimasen ga, nebiki wa dekikanemasu.I'm sorry, but we can't offer a discount.
今ならセール中です。Ima nara sēru-chū desu.It's on sale right now.
品質がいいので、長く使えますよ。Hinshitsu ga ii node, nagaku tsukaemasu yo.The quality is good, so it will last a long time.
ごゆっくりご覧ください。Go-yukkuri go-ran kudasai.Please take your time looking.

Common mistakes with takai and prices

  • Saying takai desu flatly to a shop assistant. Add chotto and ne so it sounds like an observation, not a complaint.
  • Using yasui to praise something. Yasui can suggest cheap in quality; o-tegoro, reasonably priced, or o-kaidoku, good value, sound more positive.
  • Mixing up takai as expensive and as tall. Takai hito usually means a tall person, not an expensive one.
  • Trying to haggle in supermarkets or chain stores. It is not part of the culture there and can put staff in an awkward position.
  • Forgetting tax. Zeinuki prices look cheaper than what you will pay at the till.
  • Saying iranai, I don't need it, to refuse. It sounds blunt; kekkō desu or daijōbu desu with a small smile is politer.
Key points

A practical way to improve

Pick three items you own and imagine seeing them in a Japanese shop at twice the price. For each, say out loud a casual reaction to a friend, such as takasugi!, then a polite line to a shop assistant: chotto takai desu ne. Mō sukoshi yasui no wa arimasu ka? Then ask your AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom to play a shop assistant in an electronics store, and practise comparing two models, asking about discounts and deciding politely not to buy. The Convenience Store Checkout and Order at a Café missions are good for practising prices and numbers out loud before you try a longer shopping conversation.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do you say it's expensive in Japanese?

Say takai desu, or casually just takai. To soften it in a shop, say chotto takai desu ne, it's a little expensive. Takasugiru, too expensive, is also common, especially in casual speech as takasugi.

Can you bargain in Japan?

In most shops, supermarkets, department stores and restaurants, prices are fixed and bargaining is not expected. It is more accepted at flea markets, some antique shops and, in some cases, large electronics stores where you can ask about a price match or a discount. Practices vary by shop, so ask politely and accept a no gracefully.

How do I ask for a discount in Japanese?

Ask waribiki wa arimasu ka, is there a discount? At a flea market you can say mō sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka, could you make it a little cheaper? Keep it light and polite, and do not push if the answer is no.

What is the opposite of takai?

Yasui means cheap or inexpensive. Be aware that takai also means tall or high, and its opposite in that sense is hikui, low or short. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

How do I say something is good value in Japanese?

Say o-kaidoku desu, it's a good deal, or kosupa ga ii, good value for money, which is casual. Yasui can sound like cheap in quality, so o-kaidoku is often a kinder choice.

Continue learning

All articles

Turn Japanese knowledge into speaking confidence

Practice with Unihongo's AI Sensei in an immersive 3D classroom, with roleplay missions, pronunciation coaching, useful feedback, and learning games that build your vocabulary while you play.

Start speaking free