利 means “profit, benefit”

り · ri

Also: advantage

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

きく

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

リ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 4 · 7 strokes

The story

Rice stalks (禾) cut with a blade (刂): the harvest that rewards labor. 利益 (rieki, profit) in Japanese business isn't just financial gain but mutual benefit. The Ōmi merchants' philosophy of 三方よし (sanpō yoshi, "three-way good") insisted that every trade must benefit buyer, seller, and society.

Used in 利益 (rieki, profit), 便利 (benri, convenient), and 利用 (riyou, use/utilize)

More from Commerce & Trade

• 商 commerce
• 税 tax
• 安 cheap
• 高 expensive
• 払 pay
• 収 income
• 富 wealth
• 貯 save
• 借 borrow
• 貸 lend
• 貿 trade
• 買 buy

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.