每天成语
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斤斤计较

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jīn jīn jì jiào
  • English Translation: Haggling over every penny (being petty about trifles)
  • Idiom Composition: 「斤斤」（In this context, it describes being overly meticulous or fussy about small things (originally meant 'discerning').）＋「计较」（To calculate, haggle, or care deeply about personal interest or disputes.）
  • Meaning: To be overly concerned with trivial matters or small personal gains. It describes a narrow-minded or stingy attitude and is almost always used pejoratively.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「斤斤计较」 contains the following nuances:

  • Obsession with Trifles: The idiom highlights a focus on insignificant matters or tiny profits rather than the big picture or meaningful goals.
  • Narrow-mindedness: It reflects a lack of generosity and a tendency to strictly calculate one's own advantage, which is often seen as a negative personality trait in social contexts.

3. Usage

「斤斤计较」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Financial Stinginess: Used to criticize someone who is stingy, such as someone who insists on splitting a bill to the exact cent even among friends.
    • Example:「大家出来吃饭图个开心，你就别为了几块钱斤斤计较了。」
      （We all came out to eat to have a good time, so stop haggling over every penny for the sake of a few yuan.)
  • Interpersonal Tolerance: Refers to someone who cannot let go of small mistakes or holds onto minor grudges instead of being broad-minded.
    • Example:「做人要大度一点，不要总是对别人的小过失斤斤计较。」
      （One should be more magnanimous and not always fuss over the minor mistakes of others.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 他这人太斤斤计较，很难跟同事相处。
    （He is so petty about trifles that it is difficult for him to get along with his colleagues.）
  2. 真正的朋友之间是不会斤斤计较得失的。
    （True friends do not meticulously calculate every gain and loss between them.）
  3. 与其斤斤计较眼前的利益，不如把目光放长远一些。
    （Instead of obsessing over immediate interests, it is better to take a long-term view.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Evolution of Meaning: The term 斤斤 (jīn jīn) originally appeared in the Book of Songs (诗经) with a positive connotation of being 'discerning' or 'clear-sighted.' Over time, the meaning shifted to the modern negative sense of being 'overly fussy.'
  • Social Values: In Chinese culture, being 大气 (dà qi), which means being magnanimous or generous, is highly valued as a sign of good character. Consequently, being described as 斤斤计较 (jīn jīn jì jiào) is a significant criticism of one's temperament.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 斤斤计较 (jīn jīn jì jiào) is used to criticize someone who fusses over minor details or insignificant profits. Whether it refers to being stingy with money or being unforgiving in social relationships, it suggests a lack of magnanimity and a focus on the trivial at the expense of the big picture.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 2

Idiom Essay

jīn jīn jì jiào
斤斤计较
Split Hairs
shēng huó生活zhōng中，yǒu xiē有些máo dùn矛盾qí shí其实bìng并bù不dà大，què却huì会ràng让rén人jué de觉得tè bié特别lèi累。

In life, some conflicts are actually minor, yet they can make people feel especially tired.

bǐ rú比如jǐ gè几个rén人yì qǐ一起chī fàn吃饭，jié zhàng结账de的shí hòu时候，yǒu rén有人wèi le为了jǐ kuài几块qián钱fǎn fù反复jì suàn计算：“wèi shén me为什么wǒ我bǐ比nǐ你duō多fù付le了sān kuài三块？”“zhè这dào道cài菜wǒ我zhǐ只chī吃le了yī kǒu一口，bù néng不能suàn算wǒ我de的。”

For example, when several people eat together and it is time to pay, someone may repeatedly calculate over a few dollars: “Why did I pay three dollars more than you?” “I only had one bite of this dish, so it shouldn’t be charged to me.”

yòu又bǐ rú比如péng yǒu朋友zhī jiān之间fā shēng发生le了yì diǎn一点xiǎo小mó cā摩擦，duì fāng对方yì zhí一直jì zài xīn lǐ记在心里，guò过le了hěn jiǔ很久hái yào还要ná拿chū lái出来shuō说。

Or friends may have a small disagreement, but one person keeps it in mind and brings it up again even much later.

yù dào遇到zhè zhǒng这种qíng kuàng情况，wǒ men我们cháng常huì会yòng用yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语：jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较。

In situations like this, we often use the idiom: 斤斤计较.

“jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较”zhǐ指de的shì是duì对yī xiē一些hěn很xiǎo小de的shì qíng事情huò或lì yì利益kàn看dé得tài太zhòng重，fǎn fù反复jì jiào计较，bù不yuàn yì愿意chī吃yì diǎn一点kuī亏。

斤斤计较 means taking very small matters or benefits too seriously, repeatedly keeping score, and being unwilling to accept even a small loss.

zhè lǐ这里yào要zhù yì注意，“jīn jīn斤斤”bìng并bú shì不是jiǎn dān简单dì地zhǐ指zhòng liàng dān wèi重量单位“jīn斤”，suǒ yǐ所以bù néng不能bǎ把zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lǐ jiě理解chéng成“ná拿zhe着chèng秤yì diǎn yì diǎn一点一点dì地chēng称”。

Note that 斤斤 does not simply refer to the unit of weight 斤, so this idiom should not be understood as “holding a scale and weighing things bit by bit.”

zài在xiàn dài现代hàn yǔ汉语lǐ里，zhǐ只xū yào需要jì zhù记住tā它de的zhěng tǐ整体yì si意思：guò fèn过分zài yì在意xì xiǎo细小de的shì qíng事情hé和dé shī得失。

In modern Chinese, you only need to remember its overall meaning: caring excessively about small matters and personal gains and losses.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语tōng cháng通常dài yǒu带有biǎn yì贬义。

This idiom usually has a negative meaning.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个tóng shì同事ǒu ěr偶尔wǎn晚le了wǔ fēn zhōng五分钟hái还nǐ你dōng xī东西，nǐ你què却yì zhí一直bào yuàn抱怨zhè这jiàn shì件事，bié rén别人kě néng可能huì会jué de觉得nǐ你yǒu diǎn有点jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较。

For example, if a coworker returns something to you five minutes late just once, but you keep complaining about it, others may think you are a bit 斤斤计较.

liǎng gè rén两个人hé zuò合作shí时，yī fāng一方zǒng shì总是zài在jì suàn计算：“wǒ我zuò做le了sān jiàn三件shì事，nǐ你wèi shén me为什么zhǐ只zuò做le了liǎng jiàn两件？”

When two people work together, one person may always calculate: “I did three things. Why did you only do two?”

rú guǒ如果shén me什么dōu都yào要fēn分dé得yì qīng èr chǔ一清二楚，yě也hěn很róng yì容易ràng让rén人jué de觉得tā他jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较。

If someone insists on dividing everything with complete precision, people can easily think that person is 斤斤计较.

bù guò不过，“jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较”hé和“rèn zhēn认真”“suàn dé qīng chǔ算得清楚”bìng并bú shì不是yī huí shì一回事。

However, 斤斤计较 is not the same as being conscientious or keeping clear accounts.

rèn zhēn认真gōng zuò工作、bǎ把zhàng账suàn算qīng chǔ清楚，běn shēn本身méi yǒu没有wèn tí问题。

There is nothing wrong with working carefully and keeping accounts clear.

jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较de的wèn tí问题zài yú在于：shì qíng事情míng míng明明hěn很xiǎo小，què却kàn看dé得tài太zhòng重；yì diǎn diǎn一点点dé shī得失，yě也yí dìng一定yào要zhēng gè争个míng bái明白。

The problem with 斤斤计较 is this: the matter is clearly very small, yet it is treated as extremely important; even the smallest gain or loss must be argued over until everything is settled.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当yí gè rén一个人shén me什么dōu都bù不yuàn yì愿意chī kuī吃亏，shén me什么xiǎo shì小事dōu都yào要jì jiào计较shí时，bié rén别人kě néng可能huì会duì对tā他shuō说：“bié别zhè me这么jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较。”

So, when someone is unwilling to lose out in any way and argues over every little thing, others may say: “Don’t be so 斤斤计较.”

qí shí其实，rén人hé和rén人zhī jiān之间hěn很nán难zuò dào做到měi yī cì每一次fù chū付出dōu都wán quán完全xiāng děng相等。

In fact, it is hard for people to make every contribution in a relationship completely equal.

jīn tiān今天nǐ你qǐng请wǒ我hē喝yī bēi一杯kā fēi咖啡，míng tiān明天wǒ我shùn shǒu顺手bāng帮nǐ你dài带yī cì一次dōng xī东西；zhè这cì次nǐ你duō多zuò做yì diǎn一点，xià cì下次wǒ我duō多zuò做yì diǎn一点。

Today you buy me a coffee; tomorrow I conveniently help you carry something. This time you do a little more; next time I do a little more.

hěn很duō多guān xì关系zhī suǒ yǐ之所以ràng让rén人jué de觉得qīng sōng轻松，zhèng shì正是yīn wèi因为dà jiā大家bú huì不会bǎ把měi yī cì每一次fù chū付出dōu都jì de记得qīng qīng chǔ chǔ清清楚楚。

Many relationships feel relaxed precisely because people do not keep exact track of every contribution.

jīn jīn jì jiào斤斤计较tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们de的，bú shì不是bú yào不要jiǎng讲yuán zé原则，ér shì而是bú yào不要bǎ把tài duō太多jīng lì精力làng fèi浪费zài在wú guān jǐn yào无关紧要de的xiǎo shì小事shàng上。

斤斤计较 reminds us not that we should abandon principles, but that we should not waste too much energy on trivial matters.

yǒu xiē有些shì qíng事情，suàn算dé得tài太qīng chǔ清楚，fǎn ér反而kě néng可能shī qù失去gèng duō更多。

With some things, calculating too clearly may instead cause you to lose more.

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