How to Say
How to Write
qiān
Radical: 忄 10 strokes
Meaning: stingy
💡 A 'hard heart' (忄+坚) refuses to open its wallet.
Compounds

📚 Character Story & Explanation

悭 (qiān) meaning in English —

悭 (qiān) means 'stingy' or 'miserly'. It combines the heart radical 忄 with the phonetic component 坚 (jiān, 'firm'), literally meaning a 'hard heart'—someone emotionally tight. In Chinese culture, it implies excessive frugality bordering on meanness, often contrasted with generosity as a social virtue.

💬 Example Sentences

Common Compounds

Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up

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