1.
thrifty person; frugal person
A person who carefully avoids wasteful spending and manages money sensibly. Usually carries a positive or at least neutral nuance, unlike ケチ (stingy), which is negative.
彼女は倹約家だ。
She's a thrifty person.
両親は昔から倹約家で有名だった。
My parents have long been known as thrifty people.
倹約家の彼は、無駄な出費をしない。
Being a thrifty person, he doesn't make unnecessary expenditures.
倹約家として知られる祖母は、買い物の前に必ずリストを作る。
My grandmother, who is known for being frugal, always makes a list before shopping.
A positive or neutral term for someone who is careful with money. Composed of 倹約 (thrift, frugality) + 家 (person/-ist suffix, as in "-ist").
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 倹約家として知られる: to be known for being thrifty
- 倹約家の性格: a thrifty disposition
- 根っからの倹約家: a thrifty person to the core
- 倹約家で有名: famous for being frugal
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ケチ: stingy; miserly — strongly negative; suggests unwillingness to spend even when appropriate
- 節約家: thrifty person; economizer — very close in meaning to 倹約家; slightly more modern in feel
- しまり屋: tight-fisted person — colloquial; neutral to slightly negative
- ドケチ: extreme skinflint — emphatic version of ケチ
USAGE:
倹約家 is usually a compliment: it describes someone who spends wisely and avoids waste. In contrast, ケチ implies that the person is unwilling to spend even when they should. Be careful which one you use when talking about people — calling someone 倹約家 is polite praise, but calling them ケチ is an insult.