小气鬼
What does 小气鬼 mean? 小气鬼 is a Chinese mild that translates to “stingy person / cheapskate” in English.
Literal Translation
small air ghost
Meaning & Usage
"stingy person / cheapskate"
Someone who is petty, stingy, or unwilling to share/spend money.
Examples in the Wild
别做小气鬼！ (Bié zuò xiǎoqìguǐ!) - Don't be such a cheapskate!
When to Use It
Context
- Casual conversations with friends
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Light teasing about someone's frugality. The 'ghost' (鬼) suffix adds playful tone.
More in Chinese 🇨🇳
View all →去你的 (qù nǐ de)
“go to hell / fuck off / get lost”
Milder way to tell someone to go away.
他妈的
“fuck / damn / fucking hell”
The most common Chinese expletive. Literally 'his mother's' but used as all-purpose profanity.
BT
“pervert / psycho / BT”
Abbreviation for 变态 (biàntài - pervert).
操你妈
“motherfucker / fuck your mother”
The gravest insult in Mandarin. Directly attacks the target's mother sexually.
肏你妈 (cào nǐ mā)
“fuck your mother”
Sexual violation of the listener's mother.
狗东西 (gǒu dōng xi)
“son of a bitch / dog thing / cur”
Contemptible person; literally 'dog thing/object.'
操
“fuck”
The most vulgar verb meaning 'to fuck.' Often written with substitute character 操 (exercise) to avoid censorship.
鸭子 (yā zi)
“duck / gigolo / male prostitute”
Duck; slang for male prostitute.