haan1 sap1慳濕悭濕
Jyutpinghaan1 sap1
Yalehāan sāp
Definition
Stingy, miserly, and extremely careful with giving and spending money.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
Carries a strong negative connotation, implying that someone is excessively cheap or miserly even when they can afford to spend. It is often used to criticize people who are unwilling to contribute their fair share in social settings. Unlike simply being thrifty, this term suggests a lack of generosity that can damage personal relationships.
Examples
He is usually very stingy, he even thinks buying a bottle of water is too expensive.
Related words
Common phrases
miserly and stingy
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 慳儉, which is a positive term meaning thrifty or frugal. Using 慳濕 to describe someone who is simply good at saving money will sound like a direct insult to their character.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
