有利于

• Pinyin: yǒu lì yú
• Hanzi breakdown: 有 = to have; 利 = 禾 + 刂, profit/benefit; 于 = formal preposition for direction

Meaning

Beneficial to; conducive to; in favor of. Helping to promote or improve something.

A formal construction used to express that something helps achieve a positive outcome. Often used in policy, academic, and news contexts. Must be followed by a noun or verb phrase indicating what benefits. Opposite: 不利于 (unfavorable to).

Examples

1. 早睡早起有利于身体健康。 Going to bed early and rising early is beneficial to physical health.
2. 这项政策有利于中小企业的发展。 This policy is conducive to the development of small and medium enterprises.
3. 保持开放的心态有利于学习新事物。 Maintaining an open mindset is beneficial for learning new things.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, health advice, academic writing

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 这样做有利于双方合作。(Doing this is conducive to cooperation between both parties.)
• 多读书有利于开阔视野。(Reading more is beneficial for broadening one's horizons.)

Don't Say

• 有利于我 (Too direct — in formal writing, prefer 有利于个人发展 or similar abstract objects)

Origin & History

Compound of 有利 (beneficial) and 于 (to, for). The preposition 于 indicates the recipient of the benefit.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated