吝

吝	U+541D, 吝 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-541D

← 吜
[U+541C]

CJK Unified Ideographs

吞 →
[U+541E]

吝	U+F9ED, 吝 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F9ED

← 溺
[U+F9EC]

CJK Compatibility Ideographs

燐 →
[U+F9EE]

Translingual

Han character

吝 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 卜大口 (YKR), four-corner 0060₄, composition ⿱文口)

Derived characters

𠳺, 悋, 𢭹, 𣵰, 𤞼, 𰧄(⿰石吝), 𧋻, 𠞺, 𨁮, 𨦽, 𪊺, 𠓬, 𠡧, 𡘯, 𣁔, 𡂯, 𡫫, 𤶾, 麐

References

KangXi: page 177, character 13
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3327
Dae Jaweon: page 394, character 18
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 594, character 4
Unihan data for U+541D
Unihan data for U+F9ED

Chinese

simp. and trad.		吝
alternative forms		恡悋㖁𠫤𠯛恡悋㖁𠫤𠯛𠯌𠳈𠳺𠲲𠳻𠴽𢙵

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 吝
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (吝) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
麐	m·rin, m·rins
吝	*m·rins
悋	*m·rins

Etymology

Compare Tibetan སྲི (sri, “to be thrifty”), Proto-Central-Chin *ren (“to economize; frugal”) (whence Mizo ren) (Geilich, 1994).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): lìn (lin⁴)
(Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄣˋ
(Chengdu, SP): nin⁴
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): leon⁶
(Taishan, Wiktionary): lun⁵
Hakka (Meixian, Guangdong): nin⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): ling³
Min Bei (KCR): nēng
Min Dong (BUC): lêng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): līn / liām
(Teochew, Peng'im): liang⁶ / liêng⁶
Wu (Wiktionary): lin (T3)
Xiang (Wiktionary): lin⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lìn
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄣˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lìn
  - Wade–Giles: lin⁴
  - Yale: lìn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linn
  - Palladius: линь (linʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: nin⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lin
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nin²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: leon⁶
  - Yale: leuhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: loen⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: lên⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɵn²²/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lun⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lun³²/
Hakka
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: nin⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /nin⁵³/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: ling³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /lĩŋ⁴⁵/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: nēng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /neiŋ⁵⁵/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: lêng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃ɛiŋ²⁴²/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: līn
  - Tâi-lô: līn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: lin
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /lin³³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /lin⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /lin²²/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liām
  - Tâi-lô: liām
  - Phofsit Daibuun: liam
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /liam⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /liam²²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: liang⁶ / liêng⁶
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: liăng / liĕng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /liaŋ³⁵/, /lieŋ³⁵/

Note: liêng6 - Chaozhou.

Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: lin (T3)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɪɲ²³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: lin⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin⁴⁵/

Middle Chinese: /liɪn^H/

Rime
Character	吝
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	良刃切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/liɪn^H/
Pan Wuyun	/lin^H/
Shao Rongfen	/ljen^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lin^H/
Li Rong	/liĕn^H/
Wang Li	/lĭĕn^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/li̯ĕn^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lìn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lan⁶

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*mə.rə[n]-s/
(Zhengzhang): /*m·rins/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吝
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	lìn
Middle Chinese	‹ lin^H ›
Old Chinese	/*mə.rə[n]-s/
English	stingy
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吝
Reading #	1/1
No.	8230
Phonetic component	吝
Rime group	眞
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	遴
Old Chinese	/*m·rins/
Notes	本文聲

Definitions

吝

stingy; miserly; parsimonious; niggardly
- 子曰：「如有周公之才之美，使驕且吝，其餘不足觀也已。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  子曰：“如有周公之才之美，使骄且吝，其余不足观也已。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Zǐ yuē: “Rú yǒu zhōugōng zhī cái zhī měi, shǐ jiāo qiě lìn, qíyú bùzú guān yě yǐ.” [Pinyin]
  The Master said, "Though a man have abilities as admirable as those of the duke of Zhou, yet if he be proud and niggardly, those other things are really not worth being looked at."
(literary) to regret; to resent
- 九三，咸其股，執其隨，往吝。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
  九三，咸其股，执其随，往吝。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Jiǔ sān, xián qí gǔ, zhí qí suí, wǎng lìn. [Pinyin]
  The third NINE, undivided, shows one moving his thighs, and keeping close hold of those whom he follows. Going forward (in this way) will cause regret.
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 吝嗇 (“stingy; miserly”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		吝, 嗇, 慳, 吝嗇, 慳吝
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		吝嗇, 小氣, 慳吝
Mandarin	Beijing	小氣, 摳, 摳兒, 摳門兒, 小摳兒, 死摳兒, 摳搜, 摳唆, 嗇刻
	Tianjin	摳兒, 摳門兒, 摳唆, 死摳兒, 窮摳兒
	Langfang	摳
	Chengde	摳兒
	Tangshan	摳惜
	Cangzhou	摳兒
	Baoding	摳, 窮摳
	Shijiazhuang	摳, 老摳兒
	Daming	老摳兒
	Chifeng	吝嗇, 摳兒
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	小摳兒, 小氣
	Heihe	吝嗇, 摳, 摳門兒, 小摳兒
	Qiqihar	吝嗇, 摳, 摳門兒
	Harbin	摳, 摳門兒, 小摳兒, 摳搜, 小氣, 夾夾咕咕, 玍屄
	Baicheng	吝嗇, 摳
	Changchun	小摳
	Tonghua	摳門兒
	Shenyang	吝嗇, 小摳, 摳
	Dandong	吝嗇, 摳, 小摳兒
	Jinzhou	吝嗇, 摳, 摳搜, 渠
	Dalian	黑饞
	Yantai	摳, 奸
	Yantai (Muping)	摳, 摳搜
	Qingdao	奸, 拤古
	Lijin	摳, 不出息
	Zhucheng	拤古
	Jinan	摳, 摳門兒, 小氣
	Jining	摳
	Luoyang	摳唆, 小氣, 吝嗇
	Wanrong	摳, 小氣
	Shangqiu	摳, 老鱉一
	Yuanyang	摳兒
	Zhengzhou	摳, 尖
	Lingbao	吝嗇, 嗇皮
	Xinyang	尖
	Baihe	嗇皮
	Hanzhong	嗇皮
	Xi'an	小氣, 嗇, 吝嗇, 嗇皮, 摳
	Baoji	嗇皮
	Yinchuan	摳搜, 薄嗇, 嗇, 小氣
	Tianshui	吝嗇
	Lanzhou	摳搜, 嗇皮, 嗇, 小氣
	Dunhuang	嗇
	Xining	摳, 摳皮, 細詳, 搜, 小氣
	Hami	摳
	Ürümqi	摳, 摳搜, 嗇皮, 小氣
	Wuhan	吝嗇, 摳, 慳, 小氣
	Yichang	吝嗇, 嗇, 小氣
	Xiangyang	吝嗇, 雀薄
	Tianmen	吝嗇
	Hong'an	小氣, 慳, 刻薄
	Chengdu	摳, 小氣, 夾, 苟, 嗇, 坎
	Nanchong	吝嗇, 摳
	Hanyuan	嗇
	Xichang	嗇, 坎
	Zigong	吝嗇, 摳
	Chongqing	吝嗇, 夾, 財, 老默, 摳
	Guiyang	摳, 夾摳, 夾殼, 小氣
	Zunyi	摳, 夾殼兒
	Bijie	夾摳, 夾殼
	Liping	吝嗇, 摳, 小氣
	Zhaotong	小氣
	Dali	尖鉤鉤
	Kunming	吝嗇, 小氣, 秀, 秀氣郎當
Mengzi	摳
Guilin	摳
Guilin (Lingui)	吝嗇
Liuzhou	吝嗇, 摳, 沙, 小氣
Liuzhou (Luorong)	吝嗇
Jishou	摳
Changde	摳
Anqing	摳
Xuzhou	搜, 摳, 搜摳兒, 搜摳, 搜屄摳兒, 薄氣, 不出血
Fuyang	吝嗇, 摳, 尖
Wuhu	摳, 尿
Yangzhou	摳, 小氣, 嗇掐, 嗇苛, 嗇, 吝嗇
Lianyungang	吝嗇, 免頭
Lianshui	小氣
Nanjing	摳, 嗇, 小氣, 尿日鬼
Hefei	摳, 小氣, 算小
Nantong	小氣, 嗇掐
Malaysia	吝嗇
Singapore	吝嗇
Cantonese	Guangzhou	孤寒, 慳濕, 鐸叔, 眼緊, 縮骨, 麻米, 小氣
	Hong Kong	孤寒, 鐸叔, 縮骨
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	孤寒
	Macau	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	孤寒
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	孤寒
	Foshan	孤寒
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	孤寒
	Foshan (Shunde)	孤寒
	Foshan (Sanshui)	孤寒
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	孤寒
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	孤寒
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	孤寒
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	孤寒
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	孤寒
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	孤寒
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	孤寒
	Taishan	孤寒, 針屎
	Kaiping (Chikan)	孤寒, 針屎
	Enping (Niujiang)	耳屎, 孤寒
	Heshan (Yayao)	孤寒
	Dongguan	孤寒, 縮骨
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	孤寒
	Qingyuan	孤寒
	Fogang	孤寒
	Yingde (Hanguang)	孤寒
	Yangshan	孤寒
	Lianshan (Butian)	慳
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	孤寒
	Shaoguan	孤寒
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	孤寒
	Renhua	孤寒
	Lechang	孤寒
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	孤寒
	Sihui	孤寒
	Guangning	孤寒
	Deqing	孤寒
	Huaiji	孤寒
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	孤寒
	Yunfu	孤寒
	Xinxing	孤寒
	Luoding	孤寒
	Yunan (Pingtai)	孤寒
	Yangjiang	孤寒, 小格
	Xinyi	孤寒
	Lianjiang	小氣, 慳嗇
	Nanning	孤寒, 小氣
	Wuzhou	孤寒
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	慳
	Lingshan	慳
	Pubei	慳
	Beihai	慳濕, 孤寒
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	孤寒
	Danzhou	細氣
	Singapore (Guangfu)	孤寒
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	小氣
	Móng Cái	孤寒
Gan	Nanchang	嗇, 小氣
	Lichuan	慳吝, 小氣
	Pingxiang	肋嗇, 嗇魔, 小氣
Hakka	Meixian	齧, 齧察, 歪, 孤寒, 皮西艾曬, 唆嗇, 淒老
	Xingning	歪
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	孤寒, 蔑屑
	Huidong (Daling)	小氣, 孤寒
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	孤寒
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	孤寒
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	孤寒
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	孤寒
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	孤寒
	Changting	癄
	Wuping	齧
	Wuping (Pingyu)	歪, 齧察
	Ninghua	精
	Yudu	小氣, 小相
	Ruijin	小氣
	Shangyou (Shexi)	精, 小氣
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	齧, 齧察, 鹹合澀, 鹹澀
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	齧, 齧察, 齧唧, 鹹合澀, 鹹澀
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	齧, 齧察, 齧合澀, 澀齧
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	齧, 齧察, 鹹合澀
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	齧察, 齧合澀
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	硞, 虯, 鹹合澀
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	摳
	Beiliu (Tang'an)	小氣
Huizhou	Jixi	小毛, 小氣, 小鬼
Huizhou	Shexian	小氣, 吃小米
Jin	Taiyuan	小氣, 摳索, 吝嗇
	Pingyao	摳, 小氣
	Yangyuan	吝嗇, 摳, 磨慳, 慳
	Datong	吝嗇, 摳
	Xinzhou	鬼祟, 小氣
	Lishi	摳
	Linfen	摳
	Changzhi	摳, 慳, 摳搜
	Linhe	憋, 缺
	Jining	摳
	Hohhot	小氣
	Erenhot	摳, 小氣
	Pingshan	摳唆
	Zhangjiakou	摳門兒, 摳, 吝嗇
	Handan	小氣, 摳兒門兒, 摳兒, 嗇結頭
	Linzhou	摳
	Suide	嗇
Min Bei	Jian'ou	嗇鄙, 小癖氣
	Songxi	小氣
	Zhenghe	嗇鄙
	Jianyang	嗇鄙
	Wuyishan	嗇
	Pucheng (Shibei)	嗇
Min Dong	Fuzhou	貽順, 奸狡, 奸狡利, 小氣
Min Dong	Fuqing	小氣, 𣍐捨, 奸小利
Min Nan	Xiamen	枵鬼, 譴相, 小鄙臉, 貓, 貓神, 貓𡳞 vulgar, 貓潲 vulgar, 㾀屎 vulgar, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹掛澀, 雞孫, 凍霜, 攝屎, 鄙釐, 虯, 竭, 𣍐做儂
	Quanzhou	枵鬼, 譴相, 貓, 貓𡳞 vulgar, 貓潲 vulgar, 㾀屎 vulgar, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹掛澀, 雞孫, 捻𡳞 vulgar, 捻, 鄙釐, 虯, 𣍐做儂
	Zhangzhou	枵鬼, 小鬼臉, 㾀屎庀 vulgar, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹澀韌, 蟯, 蟯鬼, 蟯疕, 桶庀, 鄙釐, 毛絲, 虯, 𣍐做儂, 雞攝膣, 攝雞膣, 攝屎, 𠢕儉
	Zhangpu	枝釐
	Yunxiao	夾絲
	Taipei	牛螕, 凍霜, 鹹澀
	Taipei (Wanhua)	凍霜
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 牛螕, 孤獨
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	牛螕, 苛頭, 凍霜, 鹹澀
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	孤霜, 㾀屎
	Kaohsiung	牛螕, 凍霜, 鹹澀, 硞
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	凍霜, 硞
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 苛頭, 硞, 虯
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 苛頭, 硞, 虯
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	凍霜, 苛頭
	Yilan	凍霜, 貓筩, 鹹澀, 虯
	Changhua (Lukang)	虯, 凍霜, 硞, 鹹澀
	Taichung	凍霜, 硞, 硞仔頭
	Taichung (Wuqi)	凍霜
	Tainan	虯, 苛頭, 凍霜, 硞, 鹹澀
	Tainan (Anping)	凍霜, 鹹澀, 硞, 虯
	Taitung	凍霜
	Hsinchu	凍霜, 鹹澀, 㾀屎 vulgar, 鹹
	Kinmen	凍霜, 孤霜, 鹹澀
	Penghu (Magong)	凍霜, 孤霜, 鹹澀, 牛螕, 虯
	Penghu (Xiyu)	孤獨, 凍霜, 鹹澀, 苛頭
	Penang (Hokkien)	鹹澀, 鹹
	Singapore (Hokkien)	枵鬼, 貓, 鹹, 澀, 鹹澀, 鹹掛澀, 貓潲 vulgar, 貓𡳞 vulgar, 㾀屎 vulgar
	Manila (Hokkien)	鹹澀, 貓潲 vulgar
	Datian	澀鼻
	Chaozhou	鹹澀
	Shantou	鹹澀
	Jieyang	鹹澀, 酸澀
	Singapore (Teochew)	鹹澀, 貓
	Leizhou	慳, 慳嘜, 刻目, 刺麻
	Wenchang	鹹澀, 細氣
	Haikou	鹹澀
	Singapore (Hainanese)	鹹澀, 鹹
Puxian Min	Putian	鹹澀
Puxian Min	Xianyou	鹹澀
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	孤寒
Zhongshan Min	Sanxiang	孤寒, 孽屎
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	小氣, 小相
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Chaoyang)	小氣
	Guilin (Zhuyuan)	吝嗇
	Lingchuan (Tanxia)	小氣
Wu	Shanghai	小氣, 密屑, 賅刁, 摳, 刮皮, 酷, 刁, 勿爽氣
	Shanghai (Chongming)	小氣
	Suzhou	小氣, 算小, 掐
	Wuxi	小氣, 嗇
	Changzhou	小氣
	Danyang	嗇掐, 小氣
	Hangzhou	小氣, 精馬, 精巴
	Ningbo	小氣, 刮皮
	Wenzhou	小氣, 貓, 吃不得
	Jinhua	小氣, 刻嗇, 貓涴
Xiang	Changsha	吝毛, 小氣, 摳, 疜
	Loudi	小相
	Shuangfeng	小氣
	Quanzhou	吝嗇
	Guanyang (Wenshi)	小相

Compounds

不吝 (bùlìn)
不吝指教 (bùlìnzhǐjiào)
不吝珠玉
不吝金玉
介吝
偏吝
刻吝
吝口
吝嫉
吝情
吝惜 (lìnxī)
吝毛
吝色
吝道
咎吝
困吝
大吝
小吝
悔吝
惜吝
慊吝
玼吝

珍吝
疵吝
矜吝
系吝
褊吝
足吝
鄙吝 (bǐlìn)
障吝
靳吝
占吝
吉凶悔吝
不吝賜教／不吝赐教 (bùlìncìjiào)
儉吝／俭吝
出內之吝／出内之吝
出納之吝／出纳之吝
吝嗇／吝啬 (lìnsè)
吝嗇鬼／吝啬鬼 (lìnsèguǐ)
吝愛／吝爱
吝慳／吝悭
吝簡／吝简
吝細／吝细
吝選／吝选

吝顧／吝顾
吝驕／吝骄
嗇吝／啬吝
執吝／执吝
愛吝／爱吝
慚吝／惭吝
慳吝／悭吝 (qiānlìn)
慳吝苦剋／悭吝苦克
改過不吝／改过不吝
時吝／时吝
榮吝／荣吝
狹吝／狭吝
祕吝／秘吝
節吝／节吝
粉吝紅慳／粉吝红悭
繁言吝嗇／繁言吝啬
纖吝／纤吝
貞吝／贞吝
貪吝／贪吝 (tānlìn)
遺吝／遗吝
驕吝／骄吝
黏吝繳繞／黏吝缴绕

Japanese

Kanji

吝

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

miserly
stingy
sparing

Readings

Go-on: りん (rin)
Kan-on: りん (rin)
Kun: おしむ (oshimu, 吝しむ); しわい (shiwai, 吝い); やぶさか (yabusaka, 吝か)

Compounds

吝(りん)嗇(しょく) (rinshoku)

Korean

Hanja

吝 (eum 린 (rin))

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

吝: Hán Nôm readings: lận

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Zhuang

Adjective

吝

Sawndip form of ningq (“small; young (as a child)”)