利益 (lìyì) — interest, benefit

利益 (lìyì)

利益 refers to interests, benefits, or gains — particularly in political, economic, legal, or social contexts where competing or shared interests are at stake. It is broader than 好处 (advantage/benefit in everyday speech) and is the standard formal term for interests in political science, law, and economics.

Meanings

1. [n] interest, interests (especially shared or competing interests among parties)
2. [n] benefit, gain (material or immaterial advantage)

Example Sentences

国家利益是外交政策的最终驱动力，尽管各方对其内涵的界定不尽相同。 Guójiā lìyì shì wàijiāo zhèngcè de zuìzhōng qūdòng lì, jǐnguǎn gèfāng duì qí nèihán de jièdìng bù jìn xiāngtóng. National interest is the ultimate driver of foreign policy, although different parties define its content differently.

在市场竞争中，企业追求自身利益的行为并不必然与社会整体利益相悖。 Zài shìchǎng jìngzhēng zhōng, qǐyè zhuīqiú zìshēn lìyì de xíngwéi bìng bù bìrán yǔ shèhuì zhěngtǐ lìyì xiāng bèi. In market competition, enterprises pursuing their own interests does not necessarily conflict with the overall interests of society.

如何在个人利益与集体利益之间寻找合理的平衡，是政治哲学的核心难题之一。 Rúhé zài gèrén lìyì yǔ jítǐ lìyì zhī jiān xúnzhǎo hélǐ de pínghéng, shì zhèngzhì zhéxué de héxīn nántí zhī yī. How to find a reasonable balance between individual interests and collective interests is one of the core challenges in political philosophy.

环境保护与经济发展之间的利益博弈，是当代最复杂的政策权衡之一。 Huánjìng bǎohù yǔ jīngjì fāzhǎn zhī jiān de lìyì bóyì, shì dāngdài zuì fùzá de zhèngcè quánhéng zhī yī. The interest game between environmental protection and economic development is one of the most complex policy trade-offs of our time.

腐败的本质在于公职人员将个人私利凌驾于公众利益之上。 Fǔbài de běnzhì zàiyú gōngzhí rényuán jiāng gèrén sīlì língjià yú gōngzhòng lìyì zhī shàng. The essence of corruption lies in public officials placing personal gain above the public interest.

跨国公司在东道国投资时，必须兼顾商业利益与当地社区的福祉。 Kuà guó gōngsī zài dōngdào guó tóuzī shí, bìxū jiāngù shāngyè lìyì yǔ dāngdì shèqū de fúzhǐ. When multinational corporations invest in host countries, they must balance commercial interests with the welfare of local communities.

Collocations

Usage Notes

利益 is the formal, standard term for "interests" in political, legal, and economic discourse. In everyday speech, 好处 (benefit, advantage) is more common in informal contexts. The compound 利益相关方 (stakeholders) is widely used in governance and business. 利益冲突 (conflict of interest) is a key legal concept. At C1 level, learners should be able to analyze complex 利益关系 (interest relationships) and discuss how 利益博弈 (interest games/competition) shapes policy outcomes.

Memory Hook

利 (profit/benefit) + 益 (gain/advantage) — 利益 doubles down on the idea of gain, emphasizing that what is at stake is material or strategic advantage.