The character 利 — “benefit”: how to write it and what it means
benefit, profit; sharp
The Chinese character 利 is read lì and means “benefit, profit; sharp”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 利
利 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 利, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 利 is made of
On the left, 禾 “grain”; on the right, 刂 “knife”: a sharp knife cuts the ears of grain.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 利
- 顺利smoothly, successfullyHSK 4
- 流利fluent, fluentlyHSK 4
- 便利convenient; facilitateHSK 5
- 利润profitHSK 5
- 利益interest, benefitHSK 5
- 有利advantageous, favorableHSK 5
- 不利unfavorableHSK 5
- 利用make use ofHSK 5
- 权利right (to something)HSK 5
- 胜利victory; winHSK 5
- 便利店convenience storeHSK 5
- 福利benefits, welfareHSK 6
- 专利patentHSK 6
- 利息interest (on a deposit, loan)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 利?
利 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 利 mean?
利 means “benefit, profit; sharp”. It appears in 顺利 (“smoothly”), 流利 (“fluent”), 便利 (“convenient”), 利润 (“profit”).
How do you pronounce 利?
利 is read lì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 利 have?
7 strokes.
← 顺 along背 carry on the back →
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 利 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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