孤寒

gūhán

adjective

Meanings

1 alone and poor (humble origins)
2 (Cantonese) miserly, stingy

Characters

alone / orphaned

Examples

他出身孤寒，靠自学成才。

Tā chūshēn gūhán, kào zìxué chéngcái.

He came from a poor and lonely background, and made his way through self-study.

别这么孤寒，请大家喝杯奶茶吧。

Bié zhème gūhán, qǐng dàjiā hē bēi nǎichá ba.

Don't be so stingy — buy everyone a cup of milk tea!

Tips

register

Two distinct meanings depending on register: in literary/Mandarin use it means 'humble origins' (lonely and cold/poor). In Cantonese (孤寒 gu1 hon4) it is everyday slang for 'stingy', and that sense has spread into colloquial Mandarin via Hong Kong media.

Stroke Order

孤 gū

寒 hán