How do you say "stingy" in Chinese?

吝啬

lìn sè

Adjective Hanzi

In Chinese, "stingy" is 吝啬 (lìn sè).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Aim to hit lìn sè using "lìn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "sè" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Writing and usage

吝啬 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

他太小气了，连小费都不给。

tā tài xiǎo qì le ， lián xiǎo fèi dōu bù gěi 。

He was too stingy to leave a tip.

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How to remember 吝啬

Say "lìn sè" and picture stingy at the exact same moment — that snapshot is your anchor for the word.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 吝啬

How do you pronounce 吝啬?

Aim to hit lìn sè using "lìn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "sè" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Is 吝啬 formal or casual?

吝啬 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 吝啬 used in Chinese?

吝啬 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 他太小气了，连小费都不给。 (He was too stingy to leave a tip.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Stingy" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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