寒酸 (hán suān) — shabby, miserable, poverty-stricken (in appearance or living conditions); stingy, unpresentable (of gifts, expenses, or behavior)
Definition
Describes someone who looks shabby or whose gifts/actions seem unpresentable — covers both 'poverty-stricken appearance' and 'stingy, cheap' in one word. Stronger and more contemptuous than just 旧 ('worn-out').
adjective
shabbymiserablepoverty-stricken (in appearance or living conditions)stingyunpresentable (of gifts, expenses, or behavior)
Examples
- 寒酸，。Tā chuān dé nà me hán suān, yí kàn jiù zhī dào shēng huó bù róng yì.He dresses so shabbily — you can tell at a glance that life is not easy for him.
- 寒酸，。Tā sòng de lǐ wù tài hán suān le, ràng rén jué de tā hěn xiǎo qì.The gift she gave was too stingy; it made people think she is very cheap.
- 寒酸，。Zhè jiān wū zi suī rán yǒu diǎn hán suān, dàn zhù zhe hěn wēn xīn.Although this room is a bit shabby, it is very cozy to live in.
Appears in
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