Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Miserly; Stingy: The primary meaning describes a person who is excessively unwilling to spend money or use resources, even when necessary. It implies a negative character trait of being overly frugal to the point of being mean.
   • Parsimonious; Penny-pinching: Refers to an extreme and often unreasonable degree of thrift.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông chủ đó rất hà tiện với nhân viên. (That boss is very stingy with his employees.)
  • Đừng có hà tiện khi đầu tư cho sức khỏe. (Don't be miserly when investing in your health.)
  • Tính toán chi tiêu cẩn thận là tốt, nhưng hà tiện quá thì không nên. (Calculating expenses carefully is good, but being too parsimonious is not advisable.)

Advanced Usage

• The word carries a strong negative judgment and is used to criticize behavior, not merely to describe careful spending. It suggests a lack of generosity.

Variants and Related Words

• Bủn xỉn (adj): A close synonym for "hà tiện," also meaning stingy or miserly.
• Keo kiệt (adj): Another common synonym for stingy or tight-fisted.

Synonyms

• Stingy: Unwilling to give or spend.
• Miserly: Like a miser; hoarding wealth.
• Parsimonious: Excessively sparing or frugal.
• Tight-fisted: Not generous with money.

Related Idioms

• Hà tiện mà ăn cháo hoa, đồng đường, đồng đậu cũng ra ba đồng. (A proverb: Even a miser eating plain rice porridge will still spend money on sugar and beans.) This idiom criticizes miserly people, suggesting that their excessive focus on saving small amounts can ironically lead to spending on trivial things.

adj

1. miserly; stingy