ケチ
Meanings
Describes a person who is unwilling to spend money or share resources; can be used as a noun (a miser) or an adjective (stingy).
He's really stingy and has never treated me once.
That cheapskate is calculating the split bill down to the last yen again.
shabby; cheap-looking; poor quality
Used for things that look cheap, worn out, or of low quality; often implies a lack of care or investment.
This suit looks cheap, but it's actually expensive.
I stayed at a shabby hotel and the room smelled musty.
petty; narrow-minded; small-minded
Describes a person's character or attitude as mean-spirited, ungenerous in spirit, or fixated on trivial matters.
With such a petty way of thinking, you'll lose your friends.
I can't stand his small-minded attitude anymore.
Used in set phrases like ケチがつく (to be jinxed) or ケチをつける (to find fault, to put a jinx on something).
A jinx was put on our carefully made plans.
An accident just before departure cast a pall over the trip.
Usage patterns
- 〈物・事〉にケチをつけるto find fault with something; to criticize something pettily
He always finds fault with other people's opinions.
- ケチがつくto become jinxed; for bad luck to set in
I fell down right before leaving, and it felt like the trip was jinxed.
- 〈物〉にケチだto be stingy about something (money, time, etc.)
He's stingy with money and won't even go out for lunch.
- ケチな根性a petty, small-minded attitude
With that petty attitude, no one will ever trust you.