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名利 (míng lì) — fame and profit; fame and wealth

Definition

名利 pairs fame (名) with profit (利) as one concept — social status plus material gain. Unlike 利益 (benefits/interests, often neutral) and 功利 (utilitarian, often pejorative), 名利 frames both together as worldly pursuits to weigh or resist.

noun
fame and profitfame and wealth

Examples

  • 名利。
    Hěn duō rén wéi le míng lì ér fèn dòu yì shēng.
    Many people strive their whole lives for fame and profit.
  • 名利，。
    Tā kàn dàn le míng lì, xuǎn zé guò jiǎn dān de shēng huó.
    He has become indifferent to fame and wealth and chose to live a simple life.
  • 名利。
    Bú yào bèi míng lì méng bì le shuāng yǎn.
    Don't let fame and profit blind your eyes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

名míngfame
利lìprofit

名 means fame and 利 means profit, together referring to fame and wealth.

Characters in this word

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

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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