吝
lìn
#3,500 most
frequent character
(bound form) stingy
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
吝 uses 口 mouth as its picture part and 文 wén for the sound, though the link is not clear today. The first meaning was 'regret, pity'. That grew to 'miserly' and then 'to be stingy'.
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