利益 (lìyì)

利益 refers to a broad range of advantages, gains, or benefits -- material or non-material -- that serve the welfare or goals of an individual, group, or country.

Meanings

[noun] interest, benefit, profit, gain (used broadly for material and non-material advantages)

Example Sentences

国家利益是外交政策制定的核心出发点。 Guójiā lìyì shì wàijiāo zhèngcè zhìdìng de héxīn chūfādiǎn. National interest is the core starting point for formulating foreign policy.

这项协议对双方都有利，符合共同利益。 Zhè xiàng xiéyì duì shuāngfāng dōu yǒulì, fúhé gòngtóng lìyì. This agreement is beneficial to both parties and is consistent with mutual interests.

腐败行为的本质是以公共利益换取个人私利。 Fǔbài xíngwéi de běnzhì shì yǐ gōnggòng lìyì huànqǔ gèrén sīlì. The essence of corrupt behavior is exchanging public interest for personal gain.

企业应该在追求商业利益的同时承担社会责任。 Qǐyè yīnggāi zài zhuīqiú shāngyè lìyì de tóngshí chéngdān shèhuì zérèn. Enterprises should fulfill social responsibilities while pursuing commercial interests.

维护消费者的合法利益是市场监管的重要职责。 Wéihù xiāofèi zhě de héfǎ lìyì shì shìchǎng jiānguǎn de zhòngyào zhízé. Protecting consumers' legitimate interests is an important responsibility of market regulation.

利益冲突会妨碍公正的决策，必须通过制度加以防范。 Lìyì chōngtū huì fáng'ài gōngzhèng de juécè, bìxū tōngguò zhìdù jiā yǐ fángfàn. Conflicts of interest can impede fair decision-making and must be prevented through institutional mechanisms.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
国家利益	national interest
共同利益	mutual interest
公共利益	public interest
利益冲突	conflict of interest
维护利益	to protect/safeguard interests
利益相关方	stakeholder

Usage Notes

利益 is broader and more versatile than 利润 (business profit) or 利息 (interest on money). 利益 encompasses material gains, strategic advantages, political interests, and general welfare. The phrase 利益相关方 (stakeholder) has become common in Chinese corporate governance and policy discussions.

Note the useful compound 利益关系 (interest relationship) and the phrase 损害...的利益 (to harm/damage the interests of). In political Chinese, 维护国家利益 (safeguarding national interests) is a standard phrase in diplomatic contexts.

Memory Hook

利 means "profit/benefit" and 益 also means "benefit/gain/advantage" -- 利益 doubles up both characters meaning benefit, emphasizing that this is all about advantage and gain, from the smallest personal perk to the largest national interest.