stinginess
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stinginess
Excessive frugality and a strong reluctance to spend money or share possessions. Stinginess is often seen as a negative character trait.
Sein Geiz war so groß, dass er sogar im Winter die Heizung ausließ.
His stinginess was so extreme that he even left the heating off in winter.
'Der Geiz' (stinginess) belongs to a word family with the adjective 'geizig' (stingy; a stingy person) and the verb 'geizen mit' (to be sparing with something). They all describe the same negative quality.
Er ist so geizig, dass er nie Trinkgeld gibt.
He is so stingy that he never leaves a tip.
To name the reason for an action, 'Geiz' (stinginess) is often used with the preposition 'aus' (out of). The construction is: 'etwas aus Geiz tun/nicht tun' (to do/not do something out of stinginess).
Aus reinem Geiz hat er die kaputte Waschmaschine nicht reparieren lassen.
Out of pure stinginess, he didn't have the broken washing machine repaired.
'Geiz' (stinginess) is always meant negatively. It does not describe mere frugality, but an excessive and antisocial refusal to spend money or share.
Ihr Geiz führte dazu, dass sie am Ende keine Freunde mehr hatte.
Her stinginess led to her having no friends left in the end.
frugality
Both words describe a restrained approach to money and spending. „Die Sparsamkeit“ is usually neutral or positive because it avoids unnecessary expenses; „der Geiz“, on the other hand, refers to excessive, negatively viewed restraint. The key question is whether the behavior still seems reasonable.
Sein Geiz zeigt sich darin, dass er selbst bei einer nötigen Reparatur kein Geld ausgeben will.
His stinginess is evident in the fact that he does not want to spend any money even on a necessary repair.
Ihre Sparsamkeit zeigt sich darin, dass sie unnötige Ausgaben vermeidet und trotzdem die nötige Reparatur bezahlt.
Her frugality is evident in the fact that she avoids unnecessary expenses while still paying for the necessary repair.
