What 利害 means
- serious
- formidable
- devastating
- (-hài: advantages and disadvantages)
These meanings come from the same dictionary that powers the Chinese to Pinyin translator and the Chinese to English translator, so a whole sentence containing 利害 will read it the same way this page does.
Character by character
How to write 利害
Stroke order is not decoration — it is what makes handwriting legible and what dictionary lookup by stroke count depends on.
Practise 利害 on printable 田字格 sheets, trace it in the writing practice tool, or watch any other character in the Stroke Order Animator.
Sounds the same as 利害
These are also written lihai without tone marks. Tones and context are what keep them apart — which is why the tone is part of the word, not an accent on it.
Train the difference in the Tone Trainer or the Similar Sounds Quiz.
Questions about 利害
What does 利害 mean in English?
利害 is pronounced lìhai and means serious, formidable, devastating, (-hài: advantages and disadvantages).
How do you pronounce 利害?
利害 is lìhai in pinyin — written lihai without tone marks. Press the audio button on this page to hear it spoken by a native voice.
What are the characters in 利害?
利害 is written with 2 characters: 利 (lì) Advantage (benefit - profit - interest), 害 (hài) Harm (kill). Knowing the parts is usually how the whole word becomes memorable.
Is 利害 an HSK word?
Yes — 利害 is on the official HSK 6 vocabulary list. You can study it with the rest of that list on the HSK 6 page.
Studied around the same time
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Translate a whole sentence containing 利害 with the Chinese to Pinyin translator, study it alongside the rest of HSK 6, drill it with HSK flashcards, or save it above and review it on your review deck.
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