co cỏm
Definition
Adjective:
- Stingy / Miserly: Describes a person who is excessively unwilling to spend money or use resources, often to an extreme or contemptible degree. It implies pettiness and a focus on saving trivial amounts.
- Meager / Paltry: Can describe something provided in a stingy, inadequate, or contemptibly small quantity.
Verb (to act stingily):
- To skimp / To pinch pennies: To be excessively frugal or parsimonious, especially in a way that is noticeable and negative.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Ông chủ đó nổi tiếng là người co cỏm. (That boss is famous for being stingy.)
- Phần thưởng co cỏm đó không xứng đáng với công sức của họ. (That paltry reward is not worthy of their effort.)
Verb:
- Bà ta co cỏm từng đồng một. (She pinches every single penny.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a strong negative connotation of pettiness and is more severe than simply being frugal or economical.
- It can be used in its reduplicated form "co co cỏm cỏm" for added emphasis, intensifying the meaning of being extremely and overtly stingy.
Variants and Related Words
- Hà tiện (adj): Stingy, miserly. (A close synonym, but "co cỏm" can sound more colloquial and descriptive of the behavior.)
- Keo kiệt (adj): Parsimonious, tight-fisted. (Another strong synonym for stinginess.)
- Bủn xỉn (adj): Mean, stingy. (Similar in meaning and colloquial tone.)
Synonyms
- Stingy: Unwilling to give or spend.
- Miserly: Like a miser; hoarding wealth.
- Parsimonious: Excessively sparing or frugal.
- Penny-pinching: Unwilling to spend money.
- Niggardly: Grudgingly mean about spending or granting.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Co cỏm từng xu: To skimp on every cent. This phrase emphasizes the action of being stingy with even the smallest unit of money.
- Không nên co cỏm từng xu khi đầu tư cho sức khỏe. (One should not skimp on every cent when investing in health.)