涨 (zhǎng) means 'to rise' or 'to increase', often used for water levels, prices, or emotions; 价 (jià) means 'price'. Together, 涨价 literally means 'price rises' and functions as a verb meaning 'to raise prices' or 'to increase in price'. It’s commonly used in everyday economic contexts—such as news reports, market discussions, or casual conversations about cost-of-living changes.

The word is neutral in register and widely understood across mainland China, Taiwan, and other Mandarin-speaking regions. It can be used transitively (e.g., 商家涨价了 — 'The shop raised its prices') or intransitively (e.g., 物价涨价了 — 'Prices have gone up'). Unlike some formal economic terms, 涨价 is conversational yet precise, making it essential for discussing affordability, inflation, or business decisions.