谋利 (móu lì) — to seek profit, to pursue gain (often with a strategic or calculated tone)

Definition

A formal written verb meaning 'to seek profit or personal gain,' often with a calculated or self-serving tone. 比 赚钱 (earn money) implies a more deliberate, sometimes shady pursuit of gain rather than ordinary earning.

verb
to seek profitto pursue gain (often with a strategic or calculated tone)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 谋利。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī bù zé shǒu duàn dì móu lì.
    This company seeks profit by any means.
  • 谋利。
    Tā lì yòng zhí quán wèi zì jǐ móu lì.
    He used his official position to seek personal gain.
  • 谋利，。
    Shāng rén yīng dāng hé fǎ móu lì, ér bú shì qī zhà xiāo fèi zhě.
    Businesspeople should pursue profit legally, not cheat consumers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

谋móuseek/plan
利lìprofit/gain

谋 seeks or plans, and 利 is profit or advantage, giving the sense of pursuing gain.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 謀; 谋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
某
某mǒu謀móu
Same sound today

The traditional form 謀 uses 言 to show it relates to speech and 某 to show its sound; the simplified 谋 is a later shorthand.

Open 谋 →

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 →

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