昂贵
ángguì · HSK 7
expensive
💎💰 ang-GWAY! — sounds like an angry way to pay
When something is absurdly expensive, you groan ang-GWAY as you hand over the cash. The characters break down: 昂 (lofty, high) + 贵 (precious, costly) — literally high-priced.
贵 — shell 贝 (money) + 中 (middle/basket)
贵 originally depicted hands holding a basket of cowrie shells (贝), which served as ancient Chinese currency. The shell radical 贝 signals connection to wealth and value. Over time it came to mean 'expensive,' 'valuable,' and by extension 'noble' or 'honored.'