Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/利 lì sharp (e.g., a knife); benefit

利 lì sharp (e.g., a knife); benefit - Mandarin Chinese

Definition

Radical is 刀 dāo “knife,” which is written 刂 when occurring at the right-hand side of a character. This radical is referred to colloquially as 立刀 lìdāo “standing knife.” The other component is 禾 hé “growing grain.” Cutting “grain” 禾 with a “knife” 刀 results in “benefits” 利. The character 利 also serves as a phonetic in other characters, e.g., 梨 lí “pear.” Distinguish 利 from 到 dào and 刻 kè.

Examples

• 流利 liúlì be fluent [SV]
• 意大利 Yìdàlì Italy [PW]
• 意大利语 (意大利語) Yìdàlìyŭ Italian language [N]

Sources

Book: Intermediate Written Chinese by Cornelius C. Kubler

Other Lessons

• 感 găn respond; feel
• 识(識) shí know; recognize
• 尽(盡) jìn to the very limit; all; to exhaust
• 节(節) jié restrict, control; economize
• Vegetables
• 吸 xī inhale, breathe in
• 类(類) lèi kind, type
• 务(務) wù be engaged in; matter, affair
• 参(參) cān participate
• Clothes
• 险(險) xiăn danger
• 课(課) kè lesson; class
• 接 jiē receive, meet, welcome
• Weather and Climate
• 员(員) yuán a person engaged in some field of activity; member