勤俭 (qín jiǎn): hardworking และ frugal

Grandma was hardworking and frugal her whole life: she always compared prices when buying groceries and couldn't bear to throw away torn clothes, yet she never stinted on her grandchildren's tuition.

After marrying, the young couple managed their household with hard work and thrift, saving half their salary each month, and after five years they finally saved enough for a down payment.

The company advocates working hard and frugally: printing paper must be used on both sides, lights are turned off when people leave, and all the money saved is invested in research and development for new projects.

Even though his salary has risen considerably, he still keeps his hardworking and frugal habits: he brings lunch to work, cycles to and from the office, and never wastes a cent.

The teacher told the students that being hardworking and frugal isn't stinginess but cherishing resources and respecting labor, so the class launched a campaign to save water and electricity.

Although his family is wealthy, his parents demanded from an early age that he be hardworking, frugal, and self-disciplined: he had to keep accounts of his allowance and donate the surplus to charity at year's end.