儉

jiǎn

temperate, frugal, economical

Meaning

Positive/Normative: Frugality, thrift, temperance, or prudence; an active restraint of desire or a disciplined approach to expenditure.
Descriptive/Negative: Meagerness, scantiness, or poverty; insufficiency (e.g., a "meager" meal).
Extended Sense: In philosophical or metaphysical contexts, general moderation or the conservation of energy and spirit.

Grammar and usage

Adjective/Predicate: Describing a person (frugal) or a state (meager).
Noun: The practice or concept of frugality.
Verb: To economize, to be sparing, or to restrict spending.

Distinctions

Contrast with 奢 (shē): Frugality vs. extravagance; these often function as a binary opposite in moral discourse.
Distinction from 簡 (jiǎn): While both can mean "simple," 儉 refers specifically to the economy of resources and expenditure, whereas 簡 refers to simplicity of form, brevity, or lack of complexity.

History and forms

Simplified variant: U+4FED.
Tang-period reading: ghyɛ̌m (Fanqie: 巨險).

Graphical notes

The glyph incorporates the 貝 (shell/money) element, indicating a connection to the management of resources.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.