leon6 sik1吝嗇吝啬
Jyutpingleon6 sik1
Yaleleuhn sīk
Definition
Stingy, mean, or unwilling to give or share what one has.
neutralpeoplemoney
How it's used
While 吝嗇 is understood in Cantonese, it is considered a more formal or written term. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people almost exclusively use 孤寒 to describe someone who is stingy or mean with money. Using 吝嗇 in casual conversation might sound slightly stiff or like you are reading from a book.
Examples
He is usually very stingy, he won't even treat someone to a cup of tea.
Do you really have to be so stingy, fussing over just a few dollars?
Related words
Common phrases
a miser
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 慳家, which is a positive term meaning frugal or thrifty. 慳家 implies someone is wise with their money, whereas 吝嗇 and 孤寒 carry a negative connotation of being selfish or unwilling to spend.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
