せこい
せ
こ
い
せこい · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | せこい | せこくない |
| Polite | せこいです | せこくないですalso せこくありません |
| Past polite | せこかったです | せこくなかったですalso せこくありませんでした |
| Past | せこかった | せこくなかった |
| Te-form | せこくて | せこくなくて |
| Adverbial | せこく | |
| Conditional | せこければ | せこくなければ |
| Tara conditional | せこかったら | せこくなかったら |
Meanings
1
petty; stingy; cheap; small-minded
Colloquial adjective describing a person or action as small-minded, miserly, or calculating in a mean-spirited way. Often used in casual speech.
That guy is really petty.
Don't get mad over such a cheap thing.
2
poor (performance); bad; unskilled
obsolete term
Obsolete term used by actors and performers in the Meiji era to describe a poor or unskilled performance. Not used in modern Japanese.
Actors in the Meiji era apparently called a poor performance 'sekoi'.
Usage patterns
- せこいことをするto do something petty/cheap
Using a bunch of discount coupons at once—what a cheap thing to do.
- せこい真似をするto pull a petty/cheap stunt
Don't pull a cheap stunt like tagging along just to get a free meal from a friend.
- せこい話a petty/cheap matter (often used sarcastically about small sums of money)
Haggling over a hundred yen—it's such a petty thing to worry about.