利弊 (lì bì) — pros and cons; advantages and disadvantages | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal pair-noun meaning 'pros and cons' used as a single object (分析利弊, 不分利弊). Broader than 优点 (only the good side) and more neutral than 利害, which can also mean 'stakes'.

noun

pros and consadvantages and disadvantages

Examples

，。
Mǎi fáng hái shì zū fáng, gè yǒu lì bì.
Buying or renting a house — each has its pros and cons.
，利弊。
Zài jué dìng zhī qián, nǐ yào xiān fēn xī lì bì.
Before making a decision, you should first analyze the pros and cons.
利弊。
Zhè xiàng zhèng cè de lì bì xū yào rèn zhēn píng gū.
The pros and cons of this policy need to be carefully evaluated.

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

利 and 弊 are opposite states, benefit and harm, together meaning pros and cons.

Characters in this word

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

禾禾hégrain
刀刀dāoknife

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

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

敝廾弊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

廾廾gǒngboth hands

Sound part声符shēngfú

敝

敝bì弊bì

Same sound today

弊 adds 廾, both hands, to 敝, which gives the sound and means destroy or tatters, making the idea of destroying something with both hands.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Abstract Concepts

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