Chinese word

节约

Pronunciation

Pinyinjié yuē

Meaning

  • verbsave

Example

我们应该节约用电。wǒ men yīng gāi jié yuē yòng diàn

We should save electricity.

Illustration for 节约 (save)

More examples

这个新方法可以帮助团队节约时间，提高效率。zhè ge xīn fāng fǎ ké yǐ bāng zhù tuán duì jié yuē shí jiān tí gāo xiào lǜ

This new method can help the team save time and improve efficiency.

Core concept

A planned reduction in use that prevents waste while preserving what matters.

Common phrases

  • 节约时间jié yuē shí jiān

    save time

  • 节约用电jié yuē yòng diàn

    save electricity

Similar words

节省jié shěng: Cutting financial spending by avoiding unnecessary costs.

Definition in Chinese

节约 指为避免浪费而有计划地减少对物品、能源或时间的消耗，通过控制或替代方法实现节省。jié yuē zhǐ wèi bì miǎn làng fèi ér yǒu jì huà dì jián shǎo duì wù pǐn néng yuán huò shí jiān de xiāo hào tōng guò kòng zhì huò tì dài fāng fǎ shí xiàn jié shěng

Word origin

节 (jié, "to regulate") + 约 (yuē, "to restrain") combine the ideas of setting limits and holding use in check.

Usage tips

  • For English speakers, save can mean rescuing a person or storing a file, but 节约 (jiéyuē, "to save") is used for reducing resource use, such as electricity, money, or time.

Other meanings

  • thriftnoun
  • savingnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word