吝啬鬼

吝嗇鬼

lìnsèguǐ

noun #22,002

Measure Word

一个吝啬鬼 gè

Meanings

1 miser
2 penny-pincher
3 scrooge

Characters

stingy / reluctant to give

miserly / tight-fisted

ghost / devil / (suffix for a person with a negative trait)

Examples

他是出了名的吝啬鬼，从不请别人吃饭。

Tā shì chū le míng de lìnsèguǐ, cóngbù qǐng biérén chīfàn.

He is a notorious miser who never treats anyone to a meal.

《吝啬鬼》是莫里哀的经典喜剧。

《 Lìnsèguǐ 》 shì Mò lǐ āi de jīngdiǎn xǐjù.

The Miser is a classic comedy by Molière.

Tips

memory

吝啬 = miserly/stingy + 鬼 = ghost/devil. Adding 鬼 to an adjective or behavior creates a derogatory noun for a person with that flaw — a common pattern in Chinese insults: 酒鬼 (drunkard), 懒鬼 (lazybones), 吝啬鬼 (miser).

Stroke Order

吝 lìn

啬 sè

鬼 guǐ