In the sense of lacking generosity, “stingy” can have several different translations in German. The main word for “miserly” or “cheap” is geizig. Its corresponding noun Geiz (m.) means “stinginess”. A stingy person can be called a Geizhals (“miser” or “scrooge” – literally “stingy-neck”). Another word is knauserig, with the noun being Knauser (m.).

Examples

Der alte Knauser ist so geizig. That old miser is so cheap.
Du bist so ein knauseriger Geizhals. You’re such a stingy cheapskate.

Another Meaning

In the sense of “petty” and “small-minded”, the German word is kleinlich. A “thrifty” or “frugal” person is sparsam. The nouns for both ends with -keit and are both feminine.

German beginner?

I filmed myself teaching German to a group of beginners! And now you can watch the result here.

Examples

Diese ständige Kleinlichkeit geht mir wirklich auf die Nerven. This constant pettiness is really getting on my nerves.

Er ist sehr sparsam und achtet auf jeden Cent. He’s very frugal and watches every cent.

About the Author Stephan

Stephan has been a professional language teacher since the early 2000s. He's been calling Berlin his home since 2006, when he started managing (and founding his own) language schools in addition to teaching German and English. He's the owner of Deutschable and loves writing about language, history, and game changers.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Get our Free E-Book

Do you know the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German? Join our mailing list for German learners and check out our exclusive, illustrated ebook and supercharge your German vocab today!

>