省吃俭用

省吃儉用

shěngchī-jiǎnyòng

idiom #37,203

Meanings

1 to live frugally; to scrimp and save
2 to economize on food and daily expenses

Characters

to save; economize

Examples

HSK 5

老人一辈子省吃俭用。

Lǎorén yíbèizi shěngchī-jiǎnyòng.

The old man lived frugally his whole life.

HSK 7-9

父母省吃俭用供我读书。

Fùmǔ shěngchī-jiǎnyòng gōng wǒ dúshū.

My parents scrimped and saved to put me through school.

HSK 7-9

她省吃俭用攒下了一笔钱。

Tā shěngchī-jiǎnyòng zǎn xià le yì bǐ qián.

She saved up a sum of money by living frugally.

Tips

history

Found in 清·吴敬梓《儒林外史》 chapter 47, describing 虞华轩 saving up silver by 省吃俭用. The phrase was already a stock description of thrifty householders in Qing-era fiction.

Stroke Order

省 shěng

吃 chī

俭 jiǎn

用 yòng