利害

lìhài

noun HSK 7 #17,505

Meanings

1 pros and cons
2 advantages and disadvantages
3 gains and losses

Characters

benefit; profit

Examples

做决定之前要权衡利害。

Zuò juédìng zhīqián yào quánhéng lìhài.

You should weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

这件事跟你有什么利害关系？

Zhè jiàn shì gēn nǐ yǒu shénme lìhài guānxì?

What stake do you have in this matter?

Tips

mistakes

Don't confuse 利害 (lìhài, pros and cons) with 厉害 (lìhai, impressive/fierce). They are different words with different characters despite similar pronunciation.

usage

利害关系 (lìhài guānxì) is a very common collocation meaning 'interests at stake' or 'vested interest'.

Stroke Order

利 lì

害 hài