小气

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xiǎoqì: 小气 - Stingy, Petty, Ungenerous

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: xiaoqi, xiǎoqì, 小气, Chinese for stingy, Chinese for petty, ungenerous in Chinese, narrow-minded in Chinese, what does xiaoqi mean, Chinese adjective, HSK 4 vocabulary
  • Summary: Learn the full meaning of 小气 (xiǎoqì), a common and essential Chinese adjective. While it directly translates to “stingy” or “cheap,” its meaning goes deeper, also describing someone who is “petty,” “narrow-minded,” or “ungenerous” in spirit. This guide explores both its financial and character-related uses, providing cultural context and 10 practical example sentences to help you master this crucial term and avoid common mistakes.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): xiǎoqì
  • Part of Speech: Adjective
  • HSK Level: HSK 4
  • Concise Definition: To be ungenerous, either with money (stingy) or in spirit (petty).
  • In a Nutshell: 小气 (xiǎoqì) describes a “smallness” of character. Think of it as someone having a “small spirit” or “small energy.” This can manifest as an unwillingness to spend money on others, but it also describes someone who gets easily offended, holds grudges over minor things, or lacks the capacity for forgiveness. It's a broad-ranging criticism of someone's lack of magnanimity.

Character Breakdown

  • 小 (xiǎo): small, little, petty. This character is a pictogram of three small dots, representing something small or few.
  • 气 (qì): air, gas, spirit, disposition, temper. This character originally depicted steam or vapor rising from cooking rice, representing energy or essence.
  • Combined Meaning: The characters literally combine to mean “small spirit” or “small air.” This beautifully captures the essence of the word: a person who is not expansive or generous in their disposition. Their capacity for giving—be it money, compliments, or forgiveness—is small.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • In Chinese culture, generosity, or 大方 (dàfāng), is a highly prized social virtue. Treating friends to meals (请客 qǐngkè), giving thoughtful gifts, and being magnanimous in disagreements are ways to build and maintain relationships (关系 guānxi) and earn social standing (面子 miànzi).
  • Being labeled 小气 (xiǎoqì) is a significant social criticism. It implies you are not only cheap but also a difficult person who is not pleasant to be around. It can cause a person to lose face, especially in situations where generosity is expected, like on a date or at a business dinner.
  • Comparison to Western Culture: While “stingy” or “cheap” in English almost exclusively refers to money, 小气 (xiǎoqì) has a much broader scope. You could call someone 小气 for getting upset that you ate the last cookie, for not letting go of a small argument from last week, or for being a sore loser in a game. In English, you might say “Don't be so petty” or “You're holding a grudge,” but in Chinese, 小气 can cover all these situations. It's about a lack of generosity in all aspects of life, not just the financial ones.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • 小气 is a very common, informal adjective used to criticize someone's behavior. It is almost always negative and is used in casual conversation among friends, family, and colleagues.
  • Financial Stinginess: This is the most direct meaning. It's used to describe a friend who never offers to pay, a boss who is cheap with salaries or bonuses, or a company that cuts corners on quality to save a tiny amount of money.
  • Pettiness / Narrow-mindedness: This usage is equally common. It describes someone who can't take a joke, gets angry over trivial matters, or is unforgiving. If a friend stops talking to you because you were five minutes late, another friend might whisper, “他太小气了” (He's so petty).

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 他这个人很小气，从来不请我们吃饭。
    • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén hěn xiǎoqì, cónglái bu qǐng wǒmen chīfàn.
    • English: He is a very stingy person; he never treats us to a meal.
    • Analysis: This is the most classic use of 小气, referring directly to being cheap with money in a social context.
  • Example 2:
    • 别这么小气，不就是一句玩笑话吗？
    • Pinyin: Bié zhème xiǎoqì, bú jiùshì yí jù wánxiàohuà ma?
    • English: Don't be so petty, it was just a joke, wasn't it?
    • Analysis: Here, 小气 has nothing to do with money. It means “petty,” “sensitive,” or “unable to take a joke.”
  • Example 3:
    • 我男朋友有点儿小气，连一束花都舍不得给我买。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ nánpéngyou yǒudiǎnr xiǎoqì, lián yí shù huā dōu shěbude gěi wǒ mǎi.
    • English: My boyfriend is a bit stingy; he's not even willing to buy me a bouquet of flowers.
    • Analysis: The phrase “有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr)” softens the criticism slightly, making it sound more like a complaint than a harsh judgment.
  • Example 4:
    • 我们老板在工资上很大方，但是在小事上很小气。
    • Pinyin: Wǒmen lǎobǎn zài gōngzī shàng hěn dàfāng, dànshì zài xiǎoshì shàng hěn xiǎoqì.
    • English: Our boss is very generous with salaries, but he is very petty about small things.
    • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the duality of the word by contrasting generosity (大方 dàfāng) with pettiness (小气).
  • Example 5:
    • 你怎么这么小气？我不过是迟到了五分钟。
    • Pinyin: Nǐ zěnme zhème xiǎoqì? Wǒ búguò shì chídào le wǔ fēnzhōng.
    • English: Why are you being so petty? I was only five minutes late.
    • Analysis: A common rhetorical question used to call out someone's overreaction to a minor issue.
  • Example 6:
    • 分手了还计较谁付钱多，真是太小气了。
    • Pinyin: Fēnshǒu le hái jìjiào shéi fù qián duō, zhēnshi tài xiǎoqì le.
    • English: Still arguing about who paid more after breaking up is just so petty.
    • Analysis: This shows 小气 used to describe behavior that is seen as ungracious and small-minded, especially after a relationship has ended.
  • Example 7:
    • 他不是小气，他只是比较节俭。
    • Pinyin: Tā búshì xiǎoqì, tā zhǐshì bǐjiào jiéjiǎn.
    • English: He's not stingy, he's just relatively frugal.
    • Analysis: This sentence highlights the important difference between the negative criticism of 小气 and the more neutral or positive trait of being frugal (节俭 jiéjiǎn).
  • Example 8:
    • 在孩子的教育上，你可不能小气。
    • Pinyin: Zài háizi de jiàoyù shàng, nǐ kě bù néng xiǎoqì.
    • English: When it comes to your child's education, you absolutely cannot be stingy.
    • Analysis: This demonstrates that being 小气 (unwilling to spend) is unacceptable in certain important contexts.
  • Example 9:
    • 我承认我有时候是有点小气，我以后会改的。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ chéngrèn wǒ yǒushíhou shì yǒudiǎn xiǎoqì, wǒ yǐhòu huì gǎi de.
    • English: I admit that I can be a bit petty sometimes, I'll change in the future.
    • Analysis: A self-critical use of the word, showing self-awareness of a negative trait.
  • Example 10:
    • 做人要大方一点，不要那么小气。
    • Pinyin: Zuòrén yào dàfāng yìdiǎn, búyào nàme xiǎoqì.
    • English: You should be a more generous person, don't be so ungenerous/petty.
    • Analysis: This is a common piece of advice, contrasting the ideal behavior (大方 dàfāng) with the criticized one (小气).

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • Mistake 1: Confusing `小气 (xiǎoqì)` with `节俭 (jiéjiǎn)`
    • A common mistake for learners is to use 小气 when they mean “frugal.”
    • 小气 (xiǎoqì) is a negative criticism. It implies a meanness of spirit and an unwillingness to spend on others or be gracious.
    • 节俭 (jiéjiǎn) means “frugal” or “thrifty” and is generally a neutral or positive trait. It implies careful management of resources, often for a future goal.
    • Incorrect: `他很小气，努力为买房存钱。` (He is stingy, working hard to save for a house.)
    • Correct: `他很节俭，努力为买房存钱。` (He is frugal, working hard to save for a house.)
  • Mistake 2: Only Using it for Money
    • Remember that 小气 is just as much about character as it is about cash. Failing to use it to describe pettiness, unforgiveness, or being a sore loser means you're missing half of its meaning. If your friend gets angry because you beat them at a video game, calling them 小气 is the perfect description.

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 大方 (dàfāng) - The direct antonym of `小气`. It means generous, magnanimous, and natural/poised. It is a high compliment.
  • 抠门 (kōumén) - A more colloquial and vivid synonym for the “stingy” aspect of `小气`. It literally means “to pick at a door,” painting a picture of someone trying to save every last cent.
  • 吝啬 (lìnsè) - A more formal, literary synonym for “stingy” or “miserly.” You would see this in writing more often than you would hear it in casual conversation.
  • 节俭 (jiéjiǎn) - Frugal or thrifty. This is a related concept but with a positive connotation, unlike `小气`.
  • 斤斤计较 (jīnjīn jìjiào) - An idiom meaning “to haggle over every last jin and tael (units of weight).” It describes the behavior of a `小气` person who is overly calculating about trivial matters.
  • 气量 (qìliàng) - Magnanimity, tolerance, breadth of mind. A person who is `小气` is said to have small `气量 (qìliàng xiǎo)`.
  • 面子 (miànzi) - “Face” or social standing. Being seen as `小气` can cause a person to lose `面子`.
  • 请客 (qǐngkè) - The social act of treating someone to a meal or entertainment. The refusal to `请客` is a classic example of `小气` behavior.