Chinese word

抠

Pronunciation

Pinyinkōu

Meaning

  • adjectivestingy

Example

他很抠，连朋友的饭钱都不付。tā hěn kōu lián péng yǒu de fàn qián dōu bú fù

He is very stingy and will not even pay for his friends' meals.

Illustration for 抠 (stingy)

More examples

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.

Core concept

Keeps a tight grip on small resources, so sharing, paying, or overlooking minor matters feels like giving something away.

Common phrases

  • 抠门kōu mén

    tightfisted

  • 抠门的人kōu mén de rén

    tightfisted person

Similar words

小气xiǎo qì: Being unwilling to spend money or share things with others.
抠门kōu mén: Being stingy in everyday speech, especially about paying for shared expenses.
吝啬lìn sè: Being miserly and unwilling to give money or things, even when needed.
节俭jié jiǎn: Using money and things carefully by avoiding waste and limiting spending.

Definition in Chinese

形容对小钱小事特别计较，常因节省而拒绝付出或分享。xíng róng duì xiǎo qián xiǎo shì tè bié jì jiào cháng yīn jié shěng ér jù jué fù chū huò fēn xiǎng

Word origin

The concrete action of 抠 (kōu, "to pick or scrape out") provides the image of handling something in tiny amounts, which develops into a description of excessive thrift.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this adjective can sound teasing among close friends but critical in a new relationship, so tone and context matter.

Other meanings

  • skimpverb
  • pick atverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 抠门kōu méntightfistedadjective

Word lists with this word