English–Chinese
“live frugally” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinjié yī suō shí
Example
退休后，他们不得不节衣缩食。tuì xiū hòu tā men bù dé bù jié yī suō shí
After retirement, they had to live frugally.
How to say “live frugally” in Chinese
“Live frugally” in Chinese is 节衣缩食 (jié yī suō shí).
A deliberate tightening of everyday spending, especially on basic needs, to get through financial hardship.
Example sentences with 节衣缩食
天灾导致收成下降，农民们不得不节衣缩食过冬。tiān zāi dǎo zhì shōu chéng xià jiàng nóng mín men bù dé bù jié yī suō shí guò dōng
The disaster reduced the harvest, so the farmers had to live frugally to get through the winter.
Tips for using 节衣缩食
- In everyday conversation, this idiom often presents frugality as a response to a setback or tight budget, so it can sound too serious for an ordinary preference for spending less.