Translation guide
A miser is someone who hoards money and is extremely reluctant to spend it, often to the point of living in discomfort. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through specific nouns, adjectives, and descriptive phrases, with nuances ranging from humorous to harshly critical.
The most direct way to refer to a miser as a person.
The most common and versatile word for a stingy person or miser. Can be used as a noun or adjective. Often used in casual conversation.
He's really rich, but he's such a miser.
A more literary and emphatic term for a miser, literally 'money-guarding slave'. It carries a strong negative connotation.
彼は守銭奴のようにお金をため込んでいる。
He hoards money like a miser.
A formal, somewhat dated term for a miser. Rarely used in everyday speech.
彼は有名な吝嗇家として知られている。
He is known as a famous miser.
Adjectives and phrases to describe someone who is miserly or tight-fisted.
The adjectival form of けち, used to describe a person or action as stingy.
そんなけちなことは言わないで。
Don't say such stingy things.
Describes someone as petty, stingy, or tight-fisted, often with a nuance of being small-minded. More colloquial.
彼はいつもみみっちいことで文句を言う。
He always complains about petty, miserly things.
Slang term meaning stingy, cheap, or small-minded. Very informal, often used among younger people.
A noun or adjective for a stingy person or behavior, often used in a scolding or humorous way. Slightly old-fashioned.
Expressions that describe the act of hoarding money or being unwilling to spend.
Literally 'to hoard money'. A neutral to negative phrase describing the action of a miser.
彼は使わずにお金をため込んでいる。
He hoards money without spending it.
Describes someone who is greedy for money, often implying stinginess. がめつい means greedy or grasping.
彼は金にがめついから、一円も出さないよ。
He's so money-grubbing, he won't part with a single yen.
To be reluctant to spend or give out money; to grudge spending. Often used in contexts like splitting bills or donations.
彼はいつもお金を出し惜しみする。
He always grudges spending money.
けち is the everyday word for a stingy person and can be used lightly or seriously. 守銭奴 is a strong, literary condemnation of a money-hoarder. 吝嗇家 is a formal, rarely used term that you might encounter in older literature.
Direct translations like ' miser ' (マイザー) are not used in Japanese. Always use one of the native terms above.
It's so miserly to ask for exactly one yen when splitting the bill.
あのしみったれがおごるわけないよ。
That miser would never treat us.