吝

恡

lìn

口 + 文

Definitions

lìn (bound form) stingy

lìn variant of 吝[lìn]

Etymology

About

The character 吝 is a phono-semantic compound that denotes a specific behavioral trait: extreme stinginess in hoarding personal resources. Structurally, it consists of the phonetic 文 (wén) on top, which supplies the sound, and the semantic radical 口 (kǒu), 'mouth', on the bottom. This mouth component originally pointed to the act of holding back speech, expressing reluctance, or groaning when giving up valuables. Over time, the core meaning solidified around the concept of miserly frugality, an intense unwillingness to spend money, share possessions, or generously distribute any resources.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他对朋友很吝啬。

Tā duì péngyou hěn lìnsè.

He is very stingy towards friends.

不要吝啬你的赞美。

Bùyào lìnsè nǐ de zànměi.

Don't be sparing with your praise.

她吝惜自己的时间。

Tā lìnxī zìjǐ de shíjiān.

She is sparing with her time.

老板对奖金很吝啬。

Lǎobǎn duì jiǎngjīn hěn lìnsè.

The boss is very stingy with bonuses.

他从不吝啬分享知识。

Tā cóng bù lìnsè fēnxiǎng zhīshì.

He never stints on sharing knowledge.

她对孩子一点也不吝惜爱心。

Tā duì háizi yīdiǎn yě bù lìnxī àixīn.

She is not at all sparing with love for the children.

公司吝于投资新技术。

Gōngsī lìn yú tóuzī xīn jìshù.

The company is stingy about investing in new technology.

他那种吝啬的性格让人难以接近。

Tā nà zhǒng lìnsè de xìnggé ràng rén nányǐ jiējìn.

His stingy personality makes it hard to get close to him.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 口

Component: 文

吝