高
gāo
A high shelf, high rent, a boss with high standards
The picture A mark climbing from the floor until it sits well above eye level. 高 has the mark climbing up; 低 has it settling near the floor.
Where the picture shows up in 高
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an object sits up high
这个架子太高了，我拿不到。
zhè ge jià zi tài gāo le, wǒ ná bu dào.
This shelf is too high — I can't reach it.
Fingers stretched on tiptoe, still stopping short below the shelf
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a body climbs up
他个子很高，有一米九。
tā gè zi hěn gāo, yǒu yì mǐ jiǔ.
He's tall — one metre ninety.
A head nearly brushing the door frame, ducking to come through
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a price mark climbs
这附近的房租很高。
zhè fù jìn de fáng zū hěn gāo.
Rent around here is high.
The amount box on a lease with one extra digit squeezed in
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a body reading climbs
病人发烧了，体温有点高。
bìng rén fā shāo le, tǐ wēn yǒu diǎn gāo.
The patient has a fever — the temperature is a bit high.
The red line in a thermometer stopped past the marked baseline
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a standard climbs
我们经理要求很高。
wǒ men jīng lǐ yāo qiú hěn gāo.
Our manager has high standards.
Every submitted page coming back with red lines through it
All of it in one picture
高 is one mark climbing upward. Climb a shelf and your hand can't reach it; climb a person and they're tall; climb the rent and it's expensive; climb a temperature and there's a fever; climb a standard and the manager is hard to satisfy.