The character 益 — “benefit”: how to write it and what it means

益
yì

benefit, profit

10 strokes · HSK 5

The Chinese character 益 is read yì and means “benefit, profit”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 益

益 has 10 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 益, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 益 is made of

Below, 皿 “vessel”: water spilling over the brim — abundance.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 益

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 益?

益 has 10 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 益 mean?

益 means “benefit, profit”. It appears in 有益 (“beneficial”), 利益 (“interest”), 日益 (“more and more each day”), 收益 (“income”).

How do you pronounce 益?

益 is read yì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 益 have?

10 strokes.

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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 益 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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