吝嗇

See also: 吝啬

Chinese

		stingy	stingy
trad. (吝嗇)		吝	嗇
simp. (吝啬)		吝	啬
alternative forms		遴嗇／遴啬

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lìnsè

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄣˋ ㄙㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): leon⁶ sik¹
• Jin (Wiktionary): ling³ sah⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): līn-sek / līn-siak / nì-sìⁿ / nih-sihⁿ
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶lin-shiq₇

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lìnsè
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄣˋ ㄙㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lìnsè
    • Wade–Giles: lin⁴-sê⁴
    • Yale: lìn-sè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linnseh
    • Palladius: линьсэ (linʹsɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin⁵¹⁻⁵³ sɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: leon⁶ sik¹
    • Yale: leuhn sīk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: loen⁶ sik⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: lên⁶ xig¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɵn²² sɪk̚⁵/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 吝嗇 / 吝啬 吝惜

• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ling³ sah⁴
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /liŋ⁴⁵ saʔ²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: līn-sek
    • Tâi-lô: līn-sik
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lixnseg
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lin³³⁻²¹ siɪk̚³²/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /lin²²⁻²¹ siɪk̚³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lin³³⁻¹¹ siɪk̚³²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: līn-siak
    • Tâi-lô: līn-siak
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lixnsiag
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /lin⁴¹⁻²² siak̚⁵/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nì-sìⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: nì-sìnn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: niesvix
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /nĩ²¹⁻⁴¹ sĩ²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /nĩ¹¹⁻⁵³ sĩ¹¹/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nih-sihⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: nih-sinnh
    • Phofsit Daibuun: nihsviq
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /nĩ(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ sĩʔ³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /nĩ(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ sĩʔ³²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶lin-shiq₇
    • MiniDict: lin^去 shih^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³lin-xiq₄
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /lin²² ɕiɪʔ⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: linH srik

Rime
Character	吝	嗇
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	職 (134)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	良刃切	所力切
Baxter	linH	srik
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/liɪnH/	/ʃɨk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/linH/	/ʃɨk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ljenH/	/ʃiek̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/linH/	/ʂik̚/
Li Rong	/liĕnH/	/ʃiək̚/
Wang Li	/lĭĕnH/	/ʃĭək̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/li̯ĕnH/	/ʂi̯ək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lìn	she
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lan6	sik1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*mə.rə[n]-s  s.rək/

  (Zhengzhang): /*m·rins  srɯɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吝	嗇
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	lìn	sè
Middle Chinese	‹ linH ›	‹ srik ›
Old Chinese	/*mə.rə[n]-s/	/*s.rək/
English	stingy	reap
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吝	嗇
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	8230	10992
Phonetic component	吝	嗇
Rime group	眞	職
Rime subdivision	1	0
Corresponding MC rime	遴	色
Old Chinese	/*m·rins/	/*srɯɡ/
Notes	本文聲	象禾來之積，來亦聲

Adjective

吝嗇

1. stingy; miserly
   • 2023, “萬一你是個好人 [What If]”, 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong] (lyrics), 林家謙 [Terence Lam] (music)‎performed by 林家謙 [Terence Lam]:

     自他背叛　我便吝嗇信任 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     自他背叛　我便吝啬信任 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     zi⁶ taa¹ bui³ bun⁶, ngo⁵ bin⁶ leon⁶ sik¹ seon³ jam⁶ [Jyutping]

     Since his betrayal, I have been stingy with trust

Synonyms

edit

• 小氣 / 小气 (xiǎoqì)
• 慳吝 / 悭吝 (qiānlìn) (literary)
• 摳 / 抠 (kōu)
• 摳門 / 抠门 (kōumén)
• 窮相 / 穷相 (qióngxiàng) (literary or regional)
• 鄙吝 (bǐlìn) (literary)

Dialectal synonyms of 吝嗇 (“stingy; miserly”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		吝, 嗇, 慳, 吝嗇, 慳吝
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		吝嗇, 小氣, 慳吝
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	小氣, 摳, 摳兒, 摳門兒, 小摳兒, 死摳兒, 摳搜, 摳唆, 嗇刻
	Langfang	摳
	Chengde	摳兒
	Chifeng	吝嗇, 摳兒
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	小摳兒, 小氣
	Heihe	吝嗇, 摳, 摳門兒, 小摳兒
	Qiqihar	吝嗇, 摳, 摳門兒
	Harbin	摳, 摳門兒, 小摳兒, 摳搜, 小氣, 夾夾咕咕, 玍屄
	Baicheng	吝嗇, 摳
	Changchun	小摳
	Tonghua	摳門兒
	Shenyang	吝嗇, 小摳, 摳
	Jinzhou	吝嗇, 摳, 摳搜, 渠
	Malaysia	吝嗇
	Singapore	吝嗇
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	摳兒, 摳門兒, 摳唆, 死摳兒, 窮摳兒
	Tangshan	摳惜
	Cangzhou	摳兒
	Baoding	摳, 窮摳
	Shijiazhuang	摳, 老摳兒
	Lijin	摳, 不出息
	Jinan	摳, 摳門兒, 小氣
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Dalian	黑饞
	Dandong	吝嗇, 摳, 小摳兒
	Yantai	摳, 奸
	Yantai (Muping)	摳, 摳搜
	Qingdao	奸, 拤古
	Zhucheng	拤古
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	摳唆, 小氣, 吝嗇
	Lingbao	吝嗇, 嗇皮
	Jining	摳
	Daming	老摳兒
	Wanrong	摳, 小氣
	Linfen	摳
	Shangqiu	摳, 老鱉一
	Yuanyang	摳兒
	Zhengzhou	摳, 尖
	Xinyang	尖
	Baihe	嗇皮
	Xi'an	小氣, 嗇, 吝嗇, 嗇皮, 摳
	Baoji	嗇皮
	Tianshui	吝嗇
	Xining	摳, 摳皮, 細詳, 搜, 小氣
	Xuzhou	搜, 摳, 搜摳兒, 搜摳, 搜屄摳兒, 薄氣, 不出血
	Fuyang	吝嗇, 摳, 尖
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	摳搜, 薄嗇, 嗇, 小氣
	Lanzhou	摳搜, 嗇皮, 嗇, 小氣
	Dunhuang	嗇
	Hami	摳
	Ürümqi	摳, 摳搜, 嗇皮, 小氣
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	摳, 小氣, 夾, 苟, 嗇, 坎
	Nanchong	吝嗇, 摳
	Hanyuan	嗇
	Xichang	嗇, 坎
	Zigong	吝嗇, 摳
	Chongqing	吝嗇, 夾, 財, 老默, 摳
	Wuhan	吝嗇, 摳, 慳, 小氣
	Yichang	吝嗇, 嗇, 小氣
	Xiangyang	吝嗇, 雀薄
	Tianmen	吝嗇
	Guiyang	摳, 夾摳, 夾殼, 小氣
	Zunyi	摳, 夾殼兒
	Bijie	夾摳, 夾殼
	Liping	吝嗇, 摳, 小氣
	Zhaotong	小氣
	Dali	尖鉤鉤
	Kunming	吝嗇, 小氣, 秀, 秀氣郎當
	Mengzi	摳
	Guilin	摳
	Guilin (Lingui)	吝嗇
	Liuzhou	吝嗇, 摳, 沙, 小氣
	Liuzhou (Luorong)	吝嗇
	Jishou	摳
	Changde	摳
	Hanzhong	嗇皮
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	摳, 嗇, 小氣, 尿日鬼
	Yangzhou	摳, 小氣, 嗇掐, 嗇苛, 嗇, 吝嗇
	Lianyungang	吝嗇, 免頭
	Lianshui	小氣
	Nantong	小氣, 嗇掐
	Anqing	摳
	Wuhu	摳, 尿
	Hefei	摳, 小氣, 算小
	Hong'an	小氣, 慳, 刻薄
Cantonese	Guangzhou	孤寒, 慳濕, 度縮, 眼緊, 縮骨, 麻米, 細囈, 小氣, 知微, 知慎
	Hong Kong	孤寒, 度縮, 縮骨
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	孤寒
	Macau	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	孤寒
	Foshan	孤寒
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	孤寒
	Foshan (Shunde)	孤寒
	Foshan (Sanshui)	孤寒
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	孤寒
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	孤寒
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	孤寒
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	孤寒
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	孤寒
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	孤寒
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	孤寒
	Taishan	孤寒, 針屎
	Kaiping (Chikan)	孤寒, 針屎
	Enping (Niujiang)	耳屎, 孤寒
	Heshan (Yayao)	孤寒
	Dongguan	孤寒, 縮骨
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	孤寒
	Qingyuan	孤寒
	Fogang	孤寒
	Yingde (Hanguang)	孤寒
	Yangshan	孤寒
	Lianshan (Butian)	慳
	Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui)	孤寒
	Shaoguan	孤寒
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	孤寒
	Renhua	孤寒
	Lechang	孤寒
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	孤寒
	Sihui	孤寒
	Guangning	孤寒
	Deqing	孤寒
	Huaiji	孤寒
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	孤寒
	Yunfu	孤寒
	Xinxing	孤寒
	Luoding	孤寒
	Yunan (Pingtai)	孤寒
	Yangjiang	孤寒, 小格
	Xinyi	孤寒
	Lianjiang	小氣, 慳嗇
	Nanning	孤寒, 小氣
	Wuzhou	孤寒
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	慳
	Lingshan	慳
	Pubei	慳
	Beihai	慳濕, 孤寒
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	孤寒
	Danzhou	細氣
	Singapore (Guangfu)	孤寒
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	小氣
	Móng Cái	孤寒
Gan	Nanchang	嗇, 小氣
	Lichuan	慳吝, 小氣
	Pingxiang	肋嗇, 嗇魔, 小氣
Hakka	Meixian	齧, 齧察, 歪, 孤寒, 皮西艾曬, 唆嗇, 淒老
	Xingning	歪
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	孤寒, 蔑屑
	Huidong (Daling)	小氣, 孤寒
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	孤寒
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	孤寒
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	孤寒
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	孤寒
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	孤寒
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	孤寒
	Jiexi	嗇
	Luhe	齧察
	Changting	癄
	Wuping	齧
	Wuping (Pingyu)	歪, 齧察
	Ninghua	精
	Yudu	小氣, 小相
	Ruijin	小氣
	Shangyou (Shexi)	精, 小氣
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	齧, 齧察, 鹹合澀, 鹹澀
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	齧, 齧察, 齧唧, 鹹合澀, 鹹澀
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	齧, 齧察, 齧合澀, 澀齧
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	齧, 齧察, 鹹合澀
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	齧察, 齧合澀
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	硞, 虯, 鹹合澀
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	摳
	Beiliu (Tang'an)	小氣
Huizhou	Jixi	小毛, 小氣, 小鬼
	Shexian	小氣, 吃小米
Jin	Taiyuan	小氣, 摳索, 吝嗇
	Pingyao	摳, 小氣
	Yangyuan	吝嗇, 摳, 磨慳, 慳
	Datong	吝嗇, 摳
	Xinzhou	鬼祟, 小氣
	Lüliang (Lishi)	摳
	Changzhi	摳, 慳, 摳搜
	Linhe	憋, 缺
	Jining	摳
	Hohhot	小氣
	Erenhot	摳, 小氣
	Pingshan	摳唆
	Zhangjiakou	摳門兒, 摳, 吝嗇
	Handan	小氣, 摳兒門兒, 摳兒, 嗇結頭
	Linzhou	摳
	Suide	嗇
Northern Min	Jian'ou	嗇鄙, 小癖氣
	Songxi	小氣
	Zhenghe	嗇鄙
	Jianyang	嗇鄙
	Wuyishan	嗇
	Pucheng (Shibei)	嗇
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	貽順, 奸狡, 奸狡利, 小氣, 十絕
	Fuqing	小氣, 𣍐捨, 奸小利
Southern Min	Xiamen	枵鬼, 譴相, 小鄙臉, 貓, 貓神, 貓𡳞 vulgar, 貓潲 vulgar, 㾀屎 vulgar, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹掛澀, 雞孫, 凍霜, 攝屎, 鄙釐, 虯, 竭, 𣍐做儂
	Quanzhou	枵鬼, 譴相, 貓, 貓𡳞 vulgar, 貓潲 vulgar, 㾀屎 vulgar, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹掛澀, 雞孫, 捻𡳞 vulgar, 捻, 鄙釐, 虯, 𣍐做儂
	Jinjiang	枵鬼
	Zhangzhou	枵鬼, 小鬼臉, 㾀屎庀 vulgar, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹澀韌, 蟯, 蟯鬼, 蟯疕, 桶庀, 鄙釐, 毛絲, 虯, 𣍐做儂, 雞攝膣, 攝雞膣, 攝屎, 𠢕儉
	Zhangpu	枝釐
	Yunxiao	夾絲
	Taipei	牛螕, 凍霜, 鹹澀
	Taipei (Wanhua)	凍霜
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 牛螕, 孤獨
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	牛螕, 苛頭, 凍霜, 鹹澀
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	孤霜, 㾀屎
	Kaohsiung	牛螕, 凍霜, 鹹澀, 硞
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	凍霜, 硞
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 苛頭, 硞, 虯
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 苛頭, 硞, 虯
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	凍霜, 苛頭
	Yilan	凍霜, 貓筩, 鹹澀, 虯
	Changhua (Lukang)	虯, 凍霜, 硞, 鹹澀
	Taichung	凍霜, 硞, 硞仔頭
	Taichung (Wuqi)	凍霜
	Tainan	虯, 苛頭, 凍霜, 硞, 鹹澀
	Tainan (Anping)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 硞, 虯
	Taitung	凍霜
	Hsinchu	凍霜, 鹹澀, 㾀屎 vulgar, 鹹
	Kinmen	凍霜, 孤霜, 鹹澀
	Penghu (Magong)	凍霜, 孤霜, 鹹澀, 牛螕, 虯
	Penghu (Xiyu)	孤獨, 凍霜, 鹹澀, 苛頭
	Penang (Hokkien)	鹹澀, 鹹
	Singapore (Hokkien)	枵鬼, 貓, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹掛澀, 貓潲 vulgar, 貓𡳞 vulgar, 㾀屎 vulgar
	Manila (Hokkien)	鹹澀, 孤死酸, 汌, 鹹, 貓潲 vulgar
	Longyan	挾潲
	Datian	澀鼻
	Chaozhou	鹹澀
	Shantou	鹹澀
	Jieyang	鹹澀, 酸澀, 迡噝, 奸狡, 鼠鬼相
	Singapore (Teochew)	鹹澀, 貓
	Leizhou	慳, 慳嘜, 刻目, 刺麻
	Wenchang	鹹澀, 細氣
	Haikou	鹹澀
	Singapore (Hainanese)	鹹澀, 鹹
Puxian Min	Putian	儉嗇, 無𡳞成, 慳, 馬貽順
	Xianyou	儉嗇, 無𡳞成, 慳
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	孤寒
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	孤寒, 孽屎
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	小氣, 小相
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Chaoyang)	小氣
	Guilin (Zhuyuan)	吝嗇
	Lingchuan (Tanxia)	小氣
Wu	Shanghai	小氣, 密屑, 賅刁, 摳, 刮皮, 酷, 刁, 勿爽氣
	Shanghai (Chongming)	小氣
	Suzhou	小氣, 算小, 掐
	Wuxi	小氣, 嗇
	Changzhou	小氣
	Danyang	嗇掐, 小氣
	Hangzhou	小氣, 精馬, 精巴
	Ningbo	小氣, 刮皮
	Wenzhou	小氣, 貓, 吃不得
	Jinhua	小氣, 刻嗇, 貓涴
Xiang	Changsha	吝毛, 小氣, 摳, 疜
	Loudi	小相
	Shuangfeng	小氣
	Quanzhou	吝嗇
	Guanyang (Wenshi)	小相
Xiangnan Tuhua	Jiangyong	小氣

Derived terms

• 吝嗇鬼 / 吝啬鬼 (lìnsèguǐ)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
吝	嗇
りん Hyōgai	しょく Hyōgai
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) りんしょく [rìńshókú] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) りんしょく [ríꜜǹshòkù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɾʲĩɰ̃ɕo̞kɯ̟]

Adjective

吝(りん)嗇(しょく) • (rinshoku) -na (adnominal 吝(りん)嗇(しょく)な (rinshoku na), adverbial 吝(りん)嗇(しょく)に (rinshoku ni))

1. stingy

Inflection

Inflection of 吝嗇

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	吝嗇だろ	りんしょくだろ	rinshoku daro
Continuative (連用形)	吝嗇で	りんしょくで	rinshoku de
Terminal (終止形)	吝嗇だ	りんしょくだ	rinshoku da
Attributive (連体形)	吝嗇な	りんしょくな	rinshoku na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	吝嗇なら	りんしょくなら	rinshoku nara
Imperative (命令形)	吝嗇であれ	りんしょくであれ	rinshoku de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	吝嗇ではない 吝嗇じゃない	りんしょくではない りんしょくじゃない	rinshoku de wa nai rinshoku ja nai
Informal past	吝嗇だった	りんしょくだった	rinshoku datta
Informal negative past	吝嗇ではなかった 吝嗇じゃなかった	りんしょくではなかった りんしょくじゃなかった	rinshoku de wa nakatta rinshoku ja nakatta
Formal	吝嗇です	りんしょくです	rinshoku desu
Formal negative	吝嗇ではありません 吝嗇じゃありません	りんしょくではありません りんしょくじゃありません	rinshoku de wa arimasen rinshoku ja arimasen
Formal past	吝嗇でした	りんしょくでした	rinshoku deshita
Formal negative past	吝嗇ではありませんでした 吝嗇じゃありませんでした	りんしょくではありませんでした りんしょくじゃありませんでした	rinshoku de wa arimasen deshita rinshoku ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	吝嗇で	りんしょくで	rinshoku de
Conditional	吝嗇なら（ば）	りんしょくなら（ば）	rinshoku nara (ba)
Provisional	吝嗇だったら	りんしょくだったら	rinshoku dattara
Volitional	吝嗇だろう	りんしょくだろう	rinshoku darō
Adverbial	吝嗇に	りんしょくに	rinshoku ni
Degree	吝嗇さ	りんしょくさ	rinshokusa

Noun

吝(りん)嗇(しょく) • (rinshoku) 

1. miserliness, stinginess
2. miser

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
吝	嗇
けち
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
jukujikun

For pronunciation and definitions of 吝嗇 – see the following entry.

【けちケチ】 [noun] miser [noun] miserliness; stinginess [adjective] stingy, miserly Alternative spelling 吝

(This term, 吝嗇, is an alternative spelling (uncommon) of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
吝	嗇

Noun

吝嗇 • (insaek) (hangeul 인색)

1. hanja form^? of 인색 (“miserliness, stinginess”)