What does 利 mean in Chinese?

利 (lì) means "sharp; favorable; advantage; benefit; profit; interest; to do good to; to benefit" in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 利?

利 is pronounced "lì" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone number is 4.

What HSK level is 利?

利 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists. It may be a specialized or advanced word.

What words contain the character 利?

Common words with 利 include 不利 (unfavorable), 互利 (mutually beneficial), 亨利 (Henry (name)), 三得利 (Suntory, Japanese beverage company), 不吉利 (ominous).

How do you write 利?

You can practice writing 利 using our stroke order tool.

利 (lì), sharp

利

lì

sharp; favorable; advantage; benefit

verb

Character Breakdown

Radical: 刀 (no. 18)

View stroke order →

Definitions

(verb) sharp
favorable
advantage
benefit
profit
interest
to do good to
to benefit

Example Sentences

这项政策对企业有利。

Zhè xiàng zhèngcè duì qǐyè yǒu lì

This policy is favorable to enterprises

Words Containing 利

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	HSK
不利	bù lì	unfavorable	HSK 5
互利	hù lì	mutually beneficial
亨利	Hēng lì	Henry (name)
三得利	Sān dé lì	Suntory, Japanese beverage company
不吉利	bù jí lì

Related Words

好处(hǎo chu)· benefit

→

占便宜(zhàn pián yi)· advantageous

Grammar Notes

Degree Complement (得)HSK 2

Verb + 得 + Description

On One Hand (一方面...另一方面)HSK 4

一方面 + Aspect A, 另一方面 + Aspect B

As...As (像...一样)HSK 4

A + 像 + B + 一样 + (Adjective)

HSK levels

New HSK exam: Not tested
HSK 2.0: Not listed
HSK Lord study list: HSK 6 list

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

Not on the new exam

利 is not on the new HSK syllabus. Build the words the exam does test.

HSK Lord starts you at your level and schedules each review right before you would forget the word. Free to start.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.