English–Chinese
“stingy” in Chinese
How to say “stingy” in Chinese
“Stingy” in Chinese is 抠 (kōu).
Keeps a tight grip on small resources, so sharing, paying, or overlooking minor matters feels like giving something away.
Example sentences with 抠
他太抠门，生日会上连一杯饮料都不买。tā tài kōu mén shēng rì huì shàng lián yì bēi yǐn liào dōu bù mǎi
He is so tightfisted that he does not even buy a drink at the birthday party.
Tips for using 抠
- In everyday conversation, this adjective can sound teasing among close friends but critical in a new relationship, so tone and context matter.
Other Chinese words for “stingy”
他很小气，连一杯咖啡都不买给我。tā hén xiǎo qì lián yì bēi kā fēi dōu bù mǎi gěi wǒ
He is very stingy and won't even buy me a cup of coffee.
他真是一毛不拔，什么都不愿意给。tā zhēn shì yì máo bù bá shén me dōu bú yuàn yì gěi
He is really stingy and is unwilling to give anything.