利 lì — sharp; benefit · English

利

lì

sharp; benefit

At a glance · 利

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文从禾从刀，象以刀割禾，本义为锋利、有利。小篆作「利」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

本义为刀刃锋利，引申为利益、顺利。

Structure

会意字，从禾从刀，象刀割禾而利。

At a glance

Pinyinlì

Radical刂

Strokes7

UnicodeU+5229

Character type会意

Theme德行

Six languages, one character

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English sharp; benefit Sharp; also benefit or advantageous.

Français tranchant; avantage Tranchant ; aussi avantage.

Español afilado; beneficio Afilado ; también beneficio.

العربية حاد؛ منفعة حاد؛ ويُستعار لـ«منفعة».

Русский острый; польза Острый; также польза.

Common words

利lìbenefit
利益lì yìbenefit

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