sei2 haan1 sei2 dai2死慳死抵死悭死抵
Jyutpingsei2 haan1 sei2 dai2
Yaleséi hāan séi dái
Definition
To pinch pennies; to go to extreme lengths to save money.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of self-deprivation and extreme frugality that goes beyond simple budgeting. It implies a lifestyle where one denies themselves basic comforts or quality of life to hoard money for a specific goal. The repetition of the characters emphasizes the intensity and the repetitive, arduous nature of the saving process.
Examples
He is scrimping and saving every day in order to buy a flat.
Why do you need to scrimp and save so much? Just have a good meal.
Related words
Common phrases
scrimping and saving to buy a property
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe someone who is simply careful with money or a good bargain hunter. It specifically refers to an intense, almost painful level of penny-pinching that affects one's daily quality of life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
