吝 lìn stingy
stingy; miserly
怎么记住“吝”: 文 culture + 口 mouth = stingy. My uncle loves culture but keeps his mouth shut when the museum asks for a donation, because he is terribly stingy.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
吝 = 文 culture + 口 mouth
- 文 culture sound
- 口 mouth meaning
My uncle loves culture but keeps his mouth shut when the museum asks for a donation, because he is terribly stingy.
How it came to be
The mouth gives the meaning and the part above it the sound.
用法
- Stingy, grudging to give: 吝啬 (lìnsè) miserly, 吝惜 (lìnxī) to grudge/begrudge (spending or giving).
- 不吝 (búlìn) 'not sparing' is a polite request: 不吝赐教 (búlìn cìjiào) please don't hold back your advice.
- 吝啬 is stronger and more critical than 节俭 (frugal, a virtue): 吝啬 is a flaw.