What is the meaning of "Скуп"?
My new Ukrainian wife wrote the following to me in response to my complaining about how she spent 1000 grivnyia on a pair of boots for the winter. I gave her the money for her birthday, but didn't want her to spend almost all of it on boots!
Есть народная пословица:"Скуп - не глуп", но надо знать для кого скупиться.
From an online translator, dictionary, and a short conversation with a Russian-speaking acquaintance, I got this so far:
There is a national proverb: "to be stingy - it is not silly ", but it is necessary to know for whom to be stingy with.
I would like alternate opinions on what "Скуп" and "скупиться." mean exactly.
Thank you!
Dave
Re: What is the meaning of "Скуп"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by quicksilver7
My new Ukrainian wife wrote the following to me in response to my complaining about how she spent 1000 grivnyia on a pair of boots for the winter. I gave her the money for her birthday, but didn't want her to spend almost all of it on boots!
Есть народная пословица:"Скуп - не глуп", но надо знать для кого скупиться.
From an online translator, dictionary, and a short conversation with a Russian-speaking acquaintance, I got this so far:
There is a national proverb: "to be stingy - it is not silly ", but it is necessary to know for whom to be stingy with.
I would like alternate opinions on what "Скуп" and "скупиться." mean exactly.
Thank you!
Dave
What alternative do you need? The translation is correct. Скуп - short for скупой means stingy. The verb скупиться means 1) to be stingy, or (as a homonym) 2) to go shopping, to do a big shopping. She used the first meaning. Depends on the tone your wife used but I can't see anything wrong with the phrase. She doesn't want you to be stingy with her. :wink: :wink: