吝啬

吝嗇

lìnsè

adjective #14,985

Meanings

1 stingy
2 mean
3 miserly

Characters

stingy; reluctant

miserly; thrifty

Examples

他非常吝啬，从来不请客。

Tā fēicháng lìnsè, cóngláibù qǐngkè.

He's extremely stingy and never treats anyone.

别那么吝啬，多给点小费吧。

Bié nàme lìnsè, duō gěi diǎn xiǎofèi ba.

Don't be so stingy; leave a bigger tip.

Tips

usage

More formal than the colloquial alternatives 小气 (xiǎoqì, petty/stingy) and 抠门 (kōumén, tight-fisted). 吝啬 is the word you'd find in written Chinese.

Stroke Order

吝 lìn

啬 sè