Translation guide
The quality of being extremely unwilling to spend money, often to the point of hoarding it. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through nouns, adjectives, and descriptive phrases that emphasize stinginess or extreme frugality.
Describing a person's character as stingy or miserly in a general sense.
The most common and versatile word for stinginess or a miser. Can be used as a noun or na-adjective.
彼は本当にけちだ。
He is really stingy.
A more formal or literary term for miserliness or stinginess.
His miserliness is famous.
A derogatory term for a miser, literally 'money-guarding slave'. Stronger and more insulting than けち.
That old man is a miser.
Emphasizing an extreme or pathological level of miserliness.
Describing actions that demonstrate miserliness, such as being tight-fisted or reluctant to spend.
Literally 'detailed about money', meaning someone is stingy or counts every penny.
She's stingy with money and always splits the bill.
Verb meaning to be reluctant to spend or give out money; to grudge spending.
To hoard money, emphasizing the act of accumulating and not spending.
Direct translations like 'miserliness' as a noun are rarely used in casual conversation. Instead, describe the behavior or use adjectives like けち.
けち (stingy) has a negative connotation, while 節約 (saving money) is positive and implies wise frugality. Be careful not to confuse them.
He is thrifty, but not stingy.
I bought a cheap item and it broke right away. Penny wise, pound foolish.
He is grudging about making donations.
He just hoards money and never tries to spend it.