In the sense of lacking generosity, “stingy” can have several different translations in German. The main word for “miserly” or “cheap” is “geizig”. Its corresponding noun “Geiz” (m.) means “stinginess”. A stingy person can be called a “Geizhals” (“miser” or “scrooge” – literally “stingy-neck”). Another word is “knauserig”, with the noun being “Knauser” (m.):

– “Der alte Knauser ist so geizig.” – “That old miser is so cheap.”
– “Du bist so ein knauseriger Geizhals.” – “You’re such a stingy cheapskate.”

In the sense of “petty” and “small-minded”, the German word is “kleinlich”. A “thrifty” or “frugal” person is “sparsam”. The nouns for both end with “-keit” and are both feminine:

– “Diese ständige Kleinlichkeit geht mir wirklich auf die Nerven.” – “This constant pettiness is really getting on my nerves.”
– “Er ist sehr sparsam und achtet auf jeden Cent.” – “He’s very frugal and watches every cent.”