利害

• Pinyin: lì hài
• Hanzi breakdown: 利 = 禾 + 刂 (profit/benefit); 害 = 宀 + 丰 + 口 (harm/damage)

Meaning

Advantages and disadvantages; pros and cons; the stakes or interests involved. Refers to the balance of benefit and harm in a situation.

Used in formal analysis, decision-making, negotiation, and legal contexts to weigh competing interests and consequences. 利害关系 (vested interests; parties with stakes) is a key compound. Note: 利害 (lì hài) meaning pros/cons differs from 厉害 (lì hai) meaning formidable/impressive.

Examples

1. 在做出最终决定之前，管理层需要充分权衡此次并购的利害关系。 Before making the final decision, management needs to fully weigh the pros and cons of this merger and acquisition.
2. 律师向当事人详细分析了接受调解与对簿公堂各自的利害得失。 The lawyer carefully explained to the client the pros and cons of accepting mediation versus going to court.
3. 政策调整涉及多方利害，必须经过广泛的社会协商方可推行。 Policy adjustments affect many stakeholders and must go through broad public consultation before they can be implemented.

Usage Guide

Context: decision-making, law, negotiation, policy analysis

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 谈判前，双方均需清楚了解自身的利害所在，以便制定合理的谈判策略。(Before negotiations, both parties need to clearly understand their own stakes in order to formulate reasonable negotiation strategies.)
• 该项目涉及多个利害相关方，任何决策都需在各方之间寻求利益平衡。(This project involves multiple stakeholders; any decision needs to seek a balance of interests among all parties.)

Don't Say

• 将'利害'(lì hài，利弊)与'厉害'(lì hai，了不起)混淆 — 二者读音相近但意义截然不同，书写时务必注意用字

Origin & History

利 (benefit/advantage) + 害 (harm/disadvantage) — the combined weight of benefit and harm

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal