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Japanese · Exclamations

たっけえ

takkee (takai)

tahk-KEH · /takkeː/

Damn, that's expensive! / highway robbery

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"expensive (rough form)"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The sticker-shock yelp, from takai (expensive) roughened into "takkee!" Reach for it at a tourist-trap menu or a Tokyo rent listing. Pair with kuso for full effect: "kuso-takee" = damn expensive. The polite reaction is just "takai desu ne."

Heard in the wild

ビール一杯千円?たっけえ!

A thousand yen for one beer? Highway robbery!

Where it lands

Nationwide

Quick answers

What does "たっけえ" mean?
In Japanese, "たっけえ" means "Damn, that's expensive! / highway robbery". Literally it's "expensive (rough form)". The sticker-shock yelp, from takai (expensive) roughened into "takkee!" Reach for it at a tourist-trap menu or a Tokyo rent listing. Pair with kuso for full effect: "kuso-takee" = damn expensive. The polite reaction is just "takai desu ne."
Is "たっけえ" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "たっけえ"?
Say it "tahk-KEH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: takkeː.

Related in Japanese

くそ kuso KOO-so Damn! / Crap! / Shit! マジ maji MAH-jee Seriously / for real / no joke うるさい urusai oo-roo-SIGH Shut up / you're too loud / quit nagging うざい uzai oo-ZYE Annoying / a pain in the ass いてえ itee (itai) ee-TEH Ow! / Ouch! / That hurts! マジか maji ka MAH-jee kah For real?! / Are you kidding me?!

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Outrageously expensive".

how to say "Outrageously expensive" →

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