益 meaning and stroke order
To profit, to benefit; advantage
How to write 益, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
- 5
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- 10
Meaning of 益
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- benefit
- profit
- advantage
- beneficial
- to increase
- to add
How 益 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A container 皿 overflowing with water 水.
Radical: 皿 (dish), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 益
The top of 益 is water 水 turned on its side, sitting above a dish 皿. Picture a bowl so full that water spills over the rim. More than enough means gain, so the character means benefit or increase.
益 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 利益 (lìyì), 有益 (yǒuyì) and 日益 (rìyì). Example: 运动对健康有益。(Yùndòng duì jiànkāng yǒuyì.) Exercise is good for your health.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 益 with 盖 (gài, lid; to cover), which also sits on 皿 but has a different top. Remember that 益 has the flattened water shape on top, with two dots and a horizontal stroke over a 八-like shape.
Common words with 益
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 利益 | lìyì | benefit; (in sb's) interest | HSK 4 |
| 收益 | shōuyì | earnings; profit | HSK 4 |
| 有益 | yǒuyì | useful; beneficial | HSK 7-9 |
| 权益 | quányì | rights; interests | HSK 7-9 |
| 日益 | rìyì | day by day; more and more | HSK 7-9 |
| 受益 | shòuyì | to benefit from; profit | HSK 7-9 |
| 益处 | yìchù | benefit | HSK 7-9 |
| 公益 | gōngyì | public good; public welfare; public interest | HSK 7-9 |
| 效益 | xiàoyì | benefit; effectiveness | HSK 7-9 |
| 得益于 | déyì yú | to benefit from; thanks to | HSK 7-9 |
| 公益性 | gōngyìxìng | HSK 7-9 | |
| 精益求精 | jīngyìqiújīng | (idiom) to constantly seek to improve; to keep perfecting | HSK 7-9 |
| 获益 | huòyì | to profit from sth; to get benefit | |
| 受益人 | shòuyìrén | beneficiary |
益 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 益
Learning 益 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 益
How many strokes are in 益?
益 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 益 mean?
益 (yì) means to profit, to benefit; advantage. A common word with it is 利益 (lìyì), meaning "benefit; (in sb's) interest".
How do you pronounce 益?
益 is pronounced yì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 益?
The radical of 益 is 皿, which carries the idea of "dish". Dictionaries list 益 under this radical.
Is 益 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 益 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 利益 and 益处?
利益 (lìyì) usually means interests, often a person's or group's material or political interests, as in 国家利益 (national interests). 益处 (yìchù) simply means a benefit or good effect, as in 读书的益处 (the benefits of reading).
How is 日益 used in a sentence?
日益 (rìyì) is a formal adverb meaning more and more as time goes on, placed before an adjective or verb. For example, 问题日益严重 (wèntí rìyì yánzhòng) means the problem is getting more serious day by day.