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利害 (lì hài) — pros and cons; advantages and disadvantages; stakes

Definition

利害 is a noun meaning 'pros and cons, stakes' (as in 不计利害 / 利害得失). Don't confuse it with the adjective 厉害 ('amazing, fierce') or the noun 利弊, which is a near-synonym. Focus here is the benefit-and-harm tradeoff of a decision.

noun
pros and consadvantages and disadvantagesstakes

Examples

  • 利害。
    Zhè jiàn shì guān xì dào wǒ men de lì hài.
    This matter relates to our interests/stakes.
  • 利害。
    Nǐ yào zǐ xì fēn xī qí zhōng de lì hài dé shī.
    You need to carefully analyze the pros and cons.
  • 利害。
    Tā wán quán kàn bù qīng zì jǐ zài qí zhōng de lì hài.
    He completely fails to see his own stakes in this.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

利lìbenefit
害hàiharm

利 and 害 stand for benefit and harm, so the stakes or advantages and disadvantages are involved.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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