jīnjīn jìjiào: 斤斤计较 - Penny-pinching, Haggling over trifles, Nitpicky

• Keywords: jinjin jijiao, 斤斤计较, 斤斤計較, jīnjīn jìjiào, Chinese idiom for petty, nitpicky meaning, haggle over trifles, penny-pinching in Chinese, stingy, calculating, Chinese chengyu, HSK 6 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the Chinese idiom 斤斤计较 (jīnjīn jìjiào), a term used to describe someone who is overly calculating and argues about trivial matters. This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage with numerous examples. Understand why being “frugal” is a virtue in Chinese culture, but being 斤斤计较 is a character flaw that implies being petty, stingy, and difficult to deal with.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jīnjīn jìjiào
• Part of Speech: Idiom (Chengyu), Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To haggle over every last detail; to be petty and calculating about trifles.
• In a Nutshell: 斤斤计较 (jīnjīn jìjiào) describes a negative personality trait. It’s not just about being careful with money; it’s about having a small-minded and argumentative attitude over insignificant things, whether it's money, responsibilities, or minor mistakes. Someone who is 斤斤计较 will argue to get their way on the smallest points, often at the expense of harmony and relationships.

• 斤 (jīn): A “jin,” an ancient Chinese unit of weight, roughly equivalent to 500 grams or 1.1 pounds. It represents a small, specific amount.
• 斤 (jīn): The repetition of 斤 emphasizes “every single jin,” or “ounce by ounce,” highlighting the extreme focus on tiny quantities.
• 计 (jì): To calculate, to count, to plan.
• 较 (jiào): To compare, to dispute, to argue over.

The characters literally combine to mean “to calculate and argue over every single jin.” This creates a vivid image of someone weighing and measuring every tiny thing to ensure they don't lose out, even by the smallest margin. It perfectly captures the essence of being petty and overly calculating.

In Chinese culture, generosity and magnanimity, captured by the word 大方 (dàfang), are highly prized social virtues. Being 大方 means you don't sweat the small stuff, you are generous with friends, and you contribute to social harmony. It helps everyone maintain 面子 (miànzi), or social face. 斤斤计较 is the cultural antithesis of 大方. A person who is 斤斤计较 is seen as 小气 (xiǎoqì - stingy, petty) and difficult. They disrupt harmony by focusing on their own minor gains, often making others feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. For instance, insisting on splitting a dinner bill down to the exact cent is a classic example of 斤斤计较 behavior that would cause everyone involved to lose face. Comparison to Western Culture: While “penny-pinching” or “frugal” are similar, they don't carry the same strong negative social judgment. “Penny-pinching” can imply responsible saving, especially in tough times. 斤斤计较, however, is almost always a criticism of someone's character. It's less about saving money and more about the argumentative, self-centered attitude over trivialities that damages relationships and social grace.

斤斤计较 is a common term used to criticize people in various aspects of life.

• Connotation: Strongly negative. Calling someone 斤斤计较 is a direct insult to their character.
• Formality: Used in both informal conversation and more formal written critiques.
• Common Situations:
  • Relationships: Describing a partner, friend, or family member who constantly brings up past mistakes or argues over small expenses.
  • Workplace: Criticizing a boss or colleague who nitpicks minor details on a project, focuses on trivial mistakes rather than the big picture, or argues over small budget items.
  • Daily Life: Complaining about a shopkeeper who refuses to round down a price by a tiny amount or a neighbor who argues over a few inches of property line.

• Example 1:
  • 他这个人太斤斤计较了，为了一块钱跟朋友吵了半天。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén tài jīnjīn jìjiào le, wèile yí kuài qián gēn péngyou chǎo le bàntiān.
  • English: He is so petty and calculating; he argued with his friend for ages over one yuan.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example, directly criticizing someone's character for arguing over a tiny amount of money.
• Example 2:
  • 做大事的人不应该在小事上斤斤计较。
  • Pinyin: Zuò dà shì de rén bù yīnggāi zài xiǎo shì shàng jīnjīn jìjiào.
  • English: People who do great things shouldn't haggle over minor details.
  • Analysis: This sentence sets up a contrast, suggesting that being 斤斤计较 is a trait of small-minded people and is incompatible with achieving great things.
• Example 3:
  • 我知道是我错了，你能不能别这么斤斤计较，原谅我一次？
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhīdào shì wǒ cuò le, nǐ néng bu néng bié zhème jīnjīn jìjiào, yuánliàng wǒ yí cì?
  • English: I know I was wrong, can you stop being so nitpicky and just forgive me this once?
  • Analysis: Here, the term is used in the context of forgiveness, implying the other person is holding onto a minor mistake and refusing to let it go.
• Example 4:
  • 我们是好朋友，吃饭就别斤斤计较了，这次我请客。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen shì hǎo péngyou, chīfàn jiù bié jīnjīn jìjiào le, zhè cì wǒ qǐngkè.
  • English: We're good friends, let's not haggle over the meal. It's my treat this time.
  • Analysis: This is a common way to show generosity (大方). The speaker uses the phrase to dismiss the need to calculate shares, reinforcing the friendship.
• Example 5:
  • 这个老板在工作质量上要求很高，但在钱上从不斤斤计较。
  • Pinyin: Zhège lǎobǎn zài gōngzuò zhìliàng shàng yāoqiú hěn gāo, dàn zài qián shàng cóngbù jīnjīn jìjiào.
  • English: This boss has high standards for work quality, but he never penny-pinches when it comes to money.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the term in the negative (“never…”) to praise the boss, contrasting his strict professional standards with his financial generosity.
• Example 6:
  • 夫妻之间如果凡事都斤斤计较，感情很容易出问题。
  • Pinyin: Fūqī zhījiān rúguǒ fánshì dōu jīnjīn jìjiào, gǎnqíng hěn róngyì chū wèntí.
  • English: If a married couple nitpicks about everything, their relationship can easily run into problems.
  • Analysis: This highlights the destructive nature of this behavior in a close personal relationship. “凡事 (fánshì)” means “every matter,” emphasizing the scope of the pettiness.
• Example 7:
  • 他对别人很大方，但对自己却很斤斤计较，非常节俭。
  • Pinyin: Tā duì biérén hěn dàfang, dàn duì zìjǐ què hěn jīnjīn jìjiào, fēicháng jiéjiǎn.
  • English: He is very generous to others, but with himself he is very calculating and extremely frugal.
  • Analysis: This is a rare context where 斤斤计较 might not be entirely negative, as it's directed inward. It's used here as an intensifier for “frugal,” but the primary meaning is still about the act of calculating, not just saving.
• Example 8:
  • 在商业谈判中，有时候你必须斤斤计较，以保护公司的利益。
  • Pinyin: Zài shāngyè tánpàn zhōng, yǒushíhou nǐ bìxū jīnjīn jìjiào, yǐ bǎohù gōngsī de lìyì.
  • English: In business negotiations, sometimes you must haggle over every detail to protect the company's interests.
  • Analysis: This is another nuanced use case. While the behavior is the same, the motivation is professional responsibility rather than personal pettiness, making it contextually acceptable, though the term itself still describes the meticulous, argumentative action.
• Example 9:
  • 分组做项目时，最怕遇到那种对工作斤斤计较的队友。
  • Pinyin: Fēnzǔ zuò xiàngmù shí, zuì pà yù dào nà zhǒng duì gōngzuò jīnjīn jìjiào de duìyǒu.
  • English: When doing a group project, the worst thing is getting a teammate who nitpicks about every little bit of work.
  • Analysis: Here, the term is applied to the division of labor, describing someone who argues to avoid doing their fair share of work, even down to the smallest tasks.
• Example 10:
  • 他这个人就是爱斤斤计较，你别往心里去。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén jiùshì ài jīnjīn jìjiào, nǐ bié wǎng xīnlǐ qù.
  • English: That's just his personality, he loves to haggle over trifles. Don't take it to heart.
  • Analysis: A common piece of advice given to someone who has been offended by a petty person. It frames 斤斤计较 as an inherent and unchangeable character flaw.

• Mistake 1: Confusing 斤斤计较 (jīnjīn jìjiào) with 节俭 (jiéjiǎn - frugal).
  • Explanation: 节俭 (jiéjiǎn) is a virtue. It means being thrifty, avoiding waste, and being responsible with one's resources. 斤斤计较 (jīnjīn jìjiào) is a character flaw. It means being petty, argumentative, and small-minded over trifles. Someone can be frugal without being petty.
  • Correct: 他生活很节俭，但从不和朋友斤斤计较。 (Tā shēnghuó hěn jiéjiǎn, dàn cóngbù hé péngyou jīnjīn jìjiào.) - He lives a very frugal life, but he never haggles over small things with friends.
  • Incorrect: 他很斤斤计较，所以存了很多钱。 (This sounds like you are criticizing his character, not praising his saving habit. You should use 节俭 instead).
• Mistake 2: Using 斤斤计较 for important matters.
  • Explanation: This idiom is exclusively for trivial, insignificant matters (小事). If someone is carefully checking the details of a major contract or a scientific paper, they are being meticulous (认真 rènzhēn) or rigorous (一丝不苟 yīsībùgǒu), not 斤斤计较.
  • Incorrect: 律师在仔细看合同，他真是斤斤计较。 (Lǜshī zài zǐxì kàn hétong, tā zhēnshi jīnjīn jìjiào.)
  • Why it's wrong: This is the lawyer's job. His carefulness is a professional strength. Calling it 斤斤计较 is insulting and inappropriate. You should say he is very 认真 (rènzhēn) or 一丝不苟 (yīsībùgǒu).

• Antonyms:
  • 大方 (dàfang) - Generous, magnanimous. The direct opposite of being 斤斤计较.
  • 宽宏大量 (kuānhóngdàliàng) - Magnanimous, big-hearted, forgiving. Describes a character that doesn't hold onto small grudges.
• Synonyms / Similar Concepts:
  • 小气 (xiǎoqì) - Stingy, petty. A more common and slightly less formal term. 斤斤计较 often describes the *behavior* of a 小气 person.
  • 抠门 (kōumén) - (colloquial) Stingy, tightfisted. Very similar to 小气, often used in northern China.
  • 锱铢必较 (zīzhūbìjiào) - To haggle over every “zi” and “zhu” (ancient tiny units of weight). A more formal and literary synonym for 斤斤计较.
• Related Concepts:
  • 面子 (miànzi) - “Face,” or social standing and dignity. Being 斤斤计较 often causes others (and oneself) to lose face.
  • 节俭 (jiéjiǎn) - Frugal. A positive trait that should be distinguished from the negative 斤斤计较.
  • 精打细算 (jīngdǎxìsuàn) - To calculate meticulously. This term is more neutral than 斤斤计较 and can be positive when referring to careful financial planning. However, if taken to an extreme in social situations, it can become 斤斤计较.