一毛不拔

• Pinyin: yī máo bù bá
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = one (not even one); 毛 = hair/fur (also: 0.1 yuan — the tiniest unit of value); 不 = negation; 拔 = 手 + 犮 (hand + pulling up — to uproot, extract)

Meaning

Not yielding even a single hair; miserly in the extreme. Idiom condemning a person who refuses to part with even the tiniest amount of money, time, or resource.

Originates from Mencius: the philosopher Yang Zhu was said to refuse to pull out even one hair even if it could benefit the whole world, symbolising extreme selfishness. Today used critically of people who are stingy with money or unwilling to contribute to shared costs. Strongly negative connotation. Contrast 慷慨解囊 (generously opening one's purse).

Examples

1. 他平日对外人慷慨大方，却对自己的亲戚一毛不拔，连逢年过节也不愿多掏一分钱。 He’s generous with outsiders, but he won’t part with a dime for his relatives—not even during the holidays.
2. 这家企业多年来从社区公共资源中受益颇丰，却对公益活动一毛不拔，在当地居民中口碑极差。 This company has benefited greatly from community public resources for years, yet won’t give a penny to charitable activities, leaving it with a terrible reputation among local residents.
3. 谈判对手对每一项额外成本一毛不拔，坚持以最低价格包揽所有服务，令合作团队苦不堪言。 The other side refused to pay a cent of any additional costs, insisting on a rock-bottom price that covered all services, leaving the team miserable.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, interpersonal, business, colloquial

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 这位富商对慈善募捐一毛不拔，却对自己的豪车与名表出手阔绰，这种鲜明的反差引发了大量网友的批评。(This wealthy businessman refused to part with a single cent for charity donations, yet spent lavishly on luxury cars and name-brand watches; this stark contrast drew widespread criticism from netizens.)
• 公司的大股东在分红方面极为慷慨，在员工福利方面却一毛不拔，这种双重标准严重打击了基层员工的工作积极性。(The company's major shareholder was extremely generous with dividend payouts but gave nothing towards employee benefits; this double standard severely undermined front-line staff morale.)

Don't Say

• 他一毛不拔地节省资源 — 一毛不拔 specifically criticises stinginess with money or material things, not frugality or resource conservation; use 节约 or 勤俭 to praise thrift

Origin & History

一 (one/a single) + 毛 (hair/fur; also 0.1 yuan, the smallest monetary unit) + 不 (not) + 拔 (to pull out/uproot — 手 hand + 犮 pulling up by the roots)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal