Taxonomy of meanings for 儉:　　

  • 儉 jiǎn (OC: ɡromʔ MC: ɡɯiɛm) 巨險切 上 廣韻：【約也少也饑饉也又姓出姓苑巨險切二 】
    • CHEAP
      • vichangebecome cheaper
    • DECENT
      • vadVmodestly
      • viactbe modest and unassuming in action
    • FRUGAL
      • nabactfrugality, economic use of resources
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthose who are frugal
      • vadVparsimoniously, frugally
      • viactbe frugal, parsimonoius; be modest in the use of resources 愈儉
      • vigradedbe too economical, be stingy with one's expenses
      • vtoNbe parsimonious (in one's use of resources)
      • nabpsycheconomy in the use of one's intellectual and moral resources
    • POOR
      • vibe poor
    • STINGY
      • vistativebe stingy with regard to oneself
      • vifigurativebe petty; be overnice; be logically pedanticCH
    • INSUFFICIENT
      • SURNAMES
        • = 險
      • jiǎnWICKED
        • visubj=nonhuman(= xian3 險) be wickedLZ

      Additional information about 儉

      說文解字: 【儉】，約也。从人、僉聲。 【巨險切】

        Criteria
      • DECENT

        1. The current word in general use is jié 節 (ant. yín 淫 "unrestrained") which refers primarily to decency in behaviour.

        2. Liáng 良 (ant.* bào 暴 "recklessness") is decency of attitude as well as decency in action.

        3. Jiǎn 儉 (ant. chǐ 侈 "excessiveness") is the important virtue of decent restraint in Confucian moral spirituality and it is something cultivated by a moral effort.

        4. Shú 淑 refers in a poetic way to the proper unassuming modesty of a person, especially of attractive women in ancient Chinese society.

        5. Ràng 讓 (ant. màn 慢 "be impolite to") is marginal in this group and refers to polite deference in interaction with others. See YIELD

      • FRUGAL

        1. The current general word for the virtue of parsimony is jiǎn 儉 (ant. shē 奢 "extravagant in the use of resources").

        2. Jié 節 (ant. chǐ 侈 "lavish use of resources") refers to the virtue of moderation in the use of things as it applies to specified areas and does not function an abstract philosophical concept of parsimony.

        3. The negative quality of stinginess is lìn 吝 (ant. POST-BUDDHIST kāng kǎi 慷慨 "generous (with friends)", and in pre-Buddhist times the less exact huì 惠 "generous (to inferiors)").

        4. The neutral terms for thrift are shěng 省 (ant. fèi 費 "spend freely"), jiǎn 簡, and yuē 約.

        5. Xí 惜 (ant. tài 泰 / 汰 "use up resources thoughtlessly") refers to the reluctance to let go of something or to use it up.

      • EXTRAVAGANT

        1. Sh1ē 奢 (ant. jiǎn 儉 "parsimonious") is excessive conspicuous consumption or use of money for one's private purposes, with or without demonstrative large scale extravagance, and the word is not necessarily pejorative.

        2. Chǐ 侈 (ant. jié 節 "moderate in the use of resources") always refers to manifestly reprehensible extravagance with no connotation of laudable generosity.

        3. Mǐ 靡 (ant. jiǎn 簡 "unextravagant") is pointless and wasteful luxuriousness, and the term is always strongly pejorative.

        4. Huá 華 is purely demonstrative conspicuous and aesthetically elaborate consumption.

        5. Tài 泰 (ant. yuē 約 "restrained in the use of resources") is grandiose and demonstrative extravagance.

        6. Yín 淫 can come to refer to extravagance as a symptom of general indulgence.

        Word relations
      • Ant: (FRUGAL)費/WASTE Fèi 費 (ant. jié 節 "be economical in the use of resources") refers specifically to single acts of wastefulness.
      • Ant: (FRUGAL)侈/EXTRAVAGANT Chǐ 侈 (ant. jié 節 "moderate in the use of resources") always refers to manifestly reprehensible extravagance with no connotation of laudable generosity.
      • Ant: (FRUGAL)奢/EXTRAVAGANT Shē 奢 (ant. jiǎn 儉 "parsimonious") is excessive conspicuous consumption or use of money for one's private purposes, with or without demonstrative large scale extravagance, and the word is not necessarily pejorative.
      • Ant: (FRUGAL)奢/EXTRAVAGANT Shē 奢 (ant. jiǎn 儉 "parsimonious") is excessive conspicuous consumption or use of money for one's private purposes, with or without demonstrative large scale extravagance, and the word is not necessarily pejorative.
      • Assoc: (DECENT)恭 / 共/RESPECT Gōng 恭 (ant. jù 倨 "behave in an informal impolite way") refers specifically to private proper polite and respectful attitudes shown to a deserving person.
      • Assoc: (FRUGAL)節/FRUGAL Jié 節 (ant. chǐ 侈"lavish use of resources") refers to the virtue of moderation in the use of things as it applies to specified areas and does not function an abstract philosophical concept of parsimony.