せこい

• 読み: せこい
• ローマ字: sekoi
• 発音: /se.ko.i/

意味

Cheap, stingy, or petty — describes someone who penny-pinches, cuts corners, or plays unfairly for small gains.

せこい goes beyond simple stinginess — it captures the pettiness of someone who obsesses over tiny advantages or savings at the expense of dignity or fairness. A person who splits a bill down to the last yen, sneaks extra samples, or bends rules for minor gains is せこい. It can also describe cheap tactics in games or competitions. The word always carries a judgemental tone.

例文

1. 割り勘で一円単位まで計算するのせこくない？
2. そんなせこいことするなよ、ケチくさいな。
3. ポイント二重取りする裏技はせこいけど賢い。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, complaints, gossip, games

トーン: judgemental, critical, exasperated

正しい言い方

• せこい真似するなよ、みっともない。 (Don't be so petty — it's embarrassing.)
• あいつのやり方せこいけどルール違反じゃないんだよな。 (His methods are cheap but technically not against the rules.)

避ける言い方

• 節約してる人に「せこい」は侮辱 — 節約と「せこい」は別物 (Calling someone who is frugal 'sekoi' is an insult — frugality and pettiness are different)

よくある間違い

• Confusing せこい with ケチ — せこい emphasises pettiness and unfair tactics, while ケチ is more about general tightfistedness with money

起源と歴史

Of uncertain etymology, possibly related to Kansai dialect. The word has been part of colloquial Japanese for decades, describing petty behaviour and excessive cheapness.

文化的背景

時代: Established colloquial Japanese, used for decades

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. The concept of being せこい is distinct from mere frugality and always carries a negative moral judgement.