haan1 pei2慳皮悭皮
Jyutpinghaan1 pei2
Yalehāan péi
Definition
Sparing, frugal, or stingy; using minimal time, money, or resources.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
Carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that someone is being excessively frugal or cheap to the point of being unreasonable. While it can describe a person's character, it is also frequently used to describe a specific action or decision that feels unnecessarily stingy. It is distinct from 慳儉, which is generally viewed as a positive or neutral trait of being thrifty or economical.
Examples
Don't be so stingy when you buy things, quality is important.
He is usually very tight-fisted, he won't even treat someone to a cup of tea.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 慳錢, which simply means saving money. 慳皮 implies a lack of generosity or a refusal to spend money even when it is appropriate or expected to do so.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
