Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Frugal; Thrifty: The primary meaning of "tần tiện" describes the careful and economical use of resources, especially money, to avoid waste. It implies a positive quality of prudence and living within one's means.
   • Stingy; Miserly: In a more negative sense, "tần tiện" can describe excessive frugality that crosses into meanness or an unwillingness to spend money even when necessary or reasonable.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông ấy sống rất tần tiện để tiết kiệm tiền cho con cái đi học. (He lives very frugally to save money for his children's education.)
  • Sự tần tiện thái quá của bà ta khiến bữa ăn gia đình thiếu thốn. (Her excessive stinginess made the family meals lacking.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is often used to describe a habitual lifestyle or character trait. It can modify nouns like "lối sống" (lifestyle), "con người" (person), or "tính cách" (personality).
  • Lối sống tần tiện đó giúp họ vượt qua thời kỳ khó khăn. (That frugal lifestyle helped them get through the difficult period.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tằn tiện: This is a common variant spelling and is used interchangeably with "tần tiện" with identical meanings.

Synonyms

• Frugal: (Positive) Careful in managing resources.
• Thrifty: (Positive) Using money and other resources carefully and wisely.
• Stingy: (Negative) Unwilling to give or spend money.
• Parsimonious: (Formal, often negative) Extremely unwilling to spend money.

Related Idioms

• Ăn chắc mặc bền / Ăn chắc mặc tần tiện: An idiom promoting a lifestyle of secure, durable, and frugal living, prioritizing practicality and savings over extravagance.
  • Cụ bà theo triết lý "ăn chắc mặc bền" cả đời. (The old woman followed the "secure eating, durable wearing" philosophy all her life.)