How to Write 啬 (sè) — Meaning “Stingy; miserly”

Imagine a stingy person with a mouth (口) that always says "no" while guarding a box (the bottom part) full of treasures. The mouth over the box reminds you that this person clenches everything tightly and hates to give anything away.

Write the top 口 narrow and small, then the bottom part starts with a horizontal stroke followed by a vertical line and two inward strokes. A common mistake is making the bottom look like 来 (lái) — the bottom of 啬 has a short horizontal line between two vertical elements, not a full 来 shape. Pay attention to the proportions: the top should occupy about one-third of the height.

啬 has a mouth on top and a granary-like bottom (㐭), while 呲 has 口 on the left and 此 (cǐ) on the right, meaning to bare teeth or scold. 咠 has 口 on top and 耳 (ear) below, meaning to whisper. The key visual difference is the bottom part: 啬 uses a unique storehouse shape, not the 此 or 耳 components.

啬 is almost never used by itself; it appears in the common word 吝啬 (lìn sè), meaning stingy or miserly, and the noun 吝啬鬼 (lìn sè guǐ), meaning a miser or cheapskate. Culturally, being called 吝啬 is a negative trait, and the character often appears in stories or jokes about tightfisted people.

Common words containing 啬 include: 吝啬 (lìn sè) — stingy / mean / miserly; 吝啬鬼 (lìn sè guǐ) — miser / cheapskate; 啬刻 (sè kè) — Stingy and harsh; miserly.