Why is ”いい値段する” the same as ’’高い”？

4 comments

1. いい値段 is a more refined and roundabout way of talking about the cost of something.

   I mean, we say something fetches a good price if you’re going to get a decent amount for an item in English. Not bragging about wealth seems universal enough?

   ETA: I might have made things more confusing by adding English because it’s also true that a good price could mean a good deal. It’s also the case in Japanese but I wanted to give the most common interpretations without ending up saying it can pretty much mean anything 😅

   I’ve left a bit more detail in another response and I’m also off to work in a sec so I’ll try to clarify later.

2. The first Google search result has a pretty detailed answer:

   https://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1071147630

   But his very first assertion is nothing more than the fact that they are synonyms.

   「いい値段」＝「高い、と感じる」ということです。

   Edit: This is an example of 反語的表現 which is basically the meaning being opposite of the words. So it’s NOT a good price thus expensive.

3. Depending on the context it can be 安い or 高い

   高い is more common

   It depends on the interpretation of いい、which can mean good as in ‘preferable to the buyer’ or good as in ‘large’ (eloquent/indirect way)

   If unclear you can always ask who you’re talking with

4. In short, いい値段 is either just a sarcasm or swapping a negative word to positive one forcefully. Nobody knows the true reason why people say “good price” unless the first person who made this magically appears and starts explaining.

   Needless to say, your can’t say 悪い値段 for fairly priced items.