ケチ

• Reading: ケチ
• Romaji: kechi
• Pronunciation: /ke.tɕi/

Meaning

A cheapskate, tightwad, or miser — someone who is excessively reluctant to spend money.

ケチ can be both a noun (あの人はケチだ, that person is a cheapskate) and a na-adjective (ケチな人, a stingy person). It describes someone who hoards money and avoids spending even when it would be socially expected — like splitting a bill unfairly, never treating friends, or buying the cheapest option of everything. While always negative in direct use, ケチ can be softened in self-deprecating humour.

Examples

1. あの人ケチだから奢ってくれたことないよ。 That person is such a cheapskate — they've never once treated anyone.
2. ケチって言わないで、節約家って言って。 Don't call me cheap — say I'm 'budget-conscious.
3. 彼氏がケチすぎてデートがいつもファミレス。 My boyfriend is so stingy that our dates are always at family restaurants.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, complaints, dating, gossip

Tone: critical, mocking, exasperated

Do Say

• ケチケチしないで一杯くらい奢ってよ。 (Stop being so stingy and buy me at least one drink.)
• 自分でもケチだって自覚あるんだよね。 (Even I'm aware that I'm a cheapskate.)

Don't Say

• 初対面で「ケチですね」は喧嘩を売ってるのと同じ (Calling someone you just met 'kechi' is basically picking a fight)

Common Mistakes

• Using ケチ for reasonable frugality — it specifically implies excessive, socially inappropriate tightfistedness, not smart money management

Origin & History

From the Edo-period word けち/吝嗇 (kechi, miserly). It has been a standard colloquial insult for stingy people for centuries and remains one of the most common words for describing excessive tightfistedness.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period onwards, centuries of continuous use

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. In a culture where treating others (奢り) is an important social norm, being called ケチ is a significant insult.