一毛不拔
一毛不拔 (yī máo bù bá) literally means “not pluck a single hair” and expresses “extremely stingy”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: yi mao bu ba, yi mao bu ba,一毛不拔 meaning, 一毛不拔 in english
Extremely stingy
Pronunciation: yī máo bù bá Literal meaning: Not pluck a single hair
Origin & Usage
Mencius describes the philosopher Yang Zhu's position as pure egoism: he would not pluck (拔) a single (一) hair (毛) from his body even if it would benefit the whole world. The doctrine was more serious than the caricature — Yang Zhu argued against sacrificing the self to public causes — but the phrase kept the caricature. It is now the ordinary Chinese word for a miser, and it is blunt rather than literary, closer to English 'tight-fisted' than to anything philosophical.
Examples
English: "He is so stingy that he won't even lend a penny."
Chinese: 他一毛不拔，连一分钱都不肯借。
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Ruin through impatient intervention
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Self-evident requiring no explanation
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bù máo zhī dì
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chūn fēng huà yǔ
Gentle, nurturing influence
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Neighbours look out for each other
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 一毛不拔 mean in English?
一毛不拔 (yī máo bù bá) literally translates to “Not pluck a single hair” and is used to express “Extremely stingy”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 一毛不拔 used?
Situation: He is so stingy that he won't even lend a penny.
What is the pinyin for 一毛不拔?
The pinyin pronunciation for 一毛不拔 is “yī máo bù bá”.