偷工减料 in English tou1 gong1 jian3 liao4 Meaning

Meanings

  • to skimp on the job and stint on materials (idiomatic expression)
  • jerry-building
  • sloppy work

Simplified Characters

偷 工 减 料

Traditional Characters

偷 工 減 料

Pinyin

tou1 gong1 jian3 liao4

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

偷tou1to steal 工gong1work 减jian3to lower 料liao4material