Nuance Dictionary / Culture & Language
짠돌이 jjan-dol-i
The household penny-pincher who obsessively polices electricity, water, and leftover scraps.
What does 짠돌이 mean?
짠돌이 (jjan-dol-i) means: The household penny-pincher who obsessively polices electricity, water, and leftover scraps.
Speakers use this to describe a man who guards household money, such as someone who avoids paying basic expenses or refuses to spend on meals. It appears in contexts where strict personal economy causes physical deprivation or extreme penny-pinching. It typically applies to males within domestic or social contexts.
Depending on who uses it, this can feel like an affectionate family joke about a parent's extreme thrift, or a sharp rebuke from someone suffering the practical consequences of that stinginess.
Depending on who uses it, this can feel like an affectionate family joke about a parent's extreme thrift, or a sharp rebuke from someone suffering the practical consequences of that stinginess.
Other sides of 짠돌이
◆ Self-Deprecating Frugal Pride — Speakers use this term to describe men who display extreme stinginess, often going without basic necessities like food to avoid spending money. It appears in contexts focusing on strict personal economy and unwillingness to part with funds.
Among younger generations on social media, this label can occasionally be worn as a badge of honor for mastering app-based savings and extreme budgeting, shifting from a criticism into a playful, self-deprecating identity.
Among younger generations on social media, this label can occasionally be worn as a badge of honor for mastering app-based savings and extreme budgeting, shifting from a criticism into a playful, self-deprecating identity.
🎙️ 짠돌이는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [짠도리]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 그는 밥값이 아까워 굶기도 하는 짠돌이이다.
geu-neun bap-g-a-i a-kka-wo gum-gi-do ha-neun jjan-dol-i-i-da.
He is such a miser that he skips meals because he thinks food costs too much.
💡 Describes a man whose stinginess leads him to skip eating. - 아버지는 전기세 아낀다며 밤에도 불을 못 켜게 하는 짠돌이시다.
a-beo-ji-neun jeon-gi-se a-kkin-da-myeo bam-e-do bul-eul mot kyeo-ge ha-neun jjan-dol-i-si-da.
My father is such a tightwad that he won't let us turn on the lights at night to save on the electric bill.
💡 Shows the word used within a household regarding utility costs. - 휴지 한 장도 아껴 쓰는 우리 집 짠돌이 남편.
hyu-ji han jang-do a-kkyo sseu-neun u-ri jip jjan-dol-i nam-pyeon.
My husband is the household penny-pincher who saves even a single sheet of tissue paper.
💡 Shows an affectionate or exasperated domestic use toward a spouse.
Related words in Culture & Language
컴백 keom-baek코가 높다 Koga nopda미역국을 먹다 Miyeokgugeul meokda눈치를 보다 nun-chi-reul bo-da눈칫밥 nunchibap