功利

gōnglì
adjective HSK 7-9 #34,992

Meanings

  1. 1 utilitarian
  2. 2 materialistic
  3. 3 self-serving
  4. 4 result-oriented

Examples

HSK 4
Tā jiāopéngyǒu fēicháng gōnglì.
He makes friends in a very self-serving way.
HSK 5
Xiàndài shèhuì tài gōnglì le.
Modern society is too utilitarian.
HSK 5
Jiàoyù bù yīnggāi guòyú gōnglì.
Education shouldn't be too results-obsessed.

Tips

usage
Usually carries a mild negative tone: caring only about tangible gains and ignoring values or relationships. As a noun it can neutrally mean "material benefit" (追求功利).
culture
功利主义 is the standard rendering of "utilitarianism" in philosophy (Bentham, Mill), where the word is descriptive rather than derogatory.

Stroke Order

功 gōng
利 lì