吝啬 lìnsè stingy
stingy; mean; miserly
How to remember 吝啬: 吝 stingy + 啬 miserly = stingy.
Characters
How it is used
- Stingy/miserly, a character flaw - 他很吝啬 (tā hěn lìnsè) he's a tightwad; also figuratively 吝啬赞美 (lìnsè zànměi) sparing with praise.
- Harsher and more judgmental than 节俭 (jiéjiǎn, thrifty), which is praise; 吝啬 always criticizes. Written and spoken.
Example sentences
- 他非常吝啬。 Tā fēicháng lìnsè.He is very stingy with his money.
- 你这个吝啬的老头。 Nǐ zhège lìnsè de lǎotóu.You're a mean old man.