How do you say "Too expensive" in Chinese?

"Too expensive" in Chinese is 太贵了。 — written in pinyin as Tài guì le. It is a restaurant phrase you would use in China.

What does 太贵了。 mean in Chinese?

太贵了。 (Tài guì le) means "Too expensive". Broken down word by word: 太 (tài) means "too"; 贵 (guì) means "expensive"; 了 (le) means "aspect particle".

When would you use "Too expensive" in Chinese?

In markets, street stalls and shops where the price was spoken to you rather than printed on a tag. It opens a negotiation rather than ending one: in China this is the first move in bargaining, and it is normally said with a smile.

How to say “Too expensive” in Chinese

“Too expensive” in Chinese is 太贵了。, written in pinyin as Tài guì le.

太贵了。

Tài guì le.

Too expensive.

Word by word

What each part of 太贵了。 actually means.

太tàitoo
贵guìexpensive
了leaspect particle

When you use it

In markets, street stalls and shops where the price was spoken to you rather than printed on a tag.
It opens a negotiation rather than ending one: in China this is the first move in bargaining, and it is normally said with a smile.

Use 太贵了。 in restaurant situations. Order food, ask for the bill, handle spice levels.

Other ways people say it

The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.

便宜一点吧。
Piányi yīdiǎn ba
Make it a bit cheaper.
The sentence that follows this one. On its own it is a request; after 太贵了 it becomes an offer to keep talking.
太贵了吧？
Tài guì le ba?
That is a bit expensive, isn't it?
The 吧 turns a verdict into a shared observation, which is much easier for a seller to answer.
可以便宜点吗？
Kěyǐ piányi diǎn ma?
Could you make it cheaper?
The polite version. 可以…吗 is the frame for asking permission, so it lands softly even in a loud market.

What usually trips people up

On its own it can sound like a flat refusal. The bargaining happens in the next sentence, so follow it with 便宜一点 or 可以便宜点吗 instead of repeating it.
It is about a price someone quoted you, not a price on a menu. In a supermarket or a chain restaurant the price is fixed and the phrase has no answer.
Keep the tone light. A hard 太贵了 aimed at a shopkeeper reads as an insult to the goods; the same words said cheerfully are an invitation to bargain.

What you might hear back

那你说多少？Nà nǐ shuō duōshao?So what are you offering?
已经是最低价了。Yǐjīng shì zuì dī jià leThat is already the lowest price.
再低就亏本了。Zài dī jiù kuīběn leAny lower and I'd be losing money.

Common questions

How do you say "Too expensive" in Chinese?: "Too expensive" in Chinese is 太贵了。 — written in pinyin as Tài guì le. It is a restaurant phrase you would use in China.
What does 太贵了。 mean in Chinese?: 太贵了。 (Tài guì le) means "Too expensive". Broken down word by word: 太 (tài) means "too"; 贵 (guì) means "expensive"; 了 (le) means "aspect particle".
When would you use "Too expensive" in Chinese?: In markets, street stalls and shops where the price was spoken to you rather than printed on a tag. It opens a negotiation rather than ending one: in China this is the first move in bargaining, and it is normally said with a smile.

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