利
lì · HSK 6
profit
🌾💰 grain 禾 + knife 刂 = cutting crops at harvest yields profit
The left radical 禾 is a rice plant, the right 刂 is a blade. Reaping grain at harvest is the original act of gaining benefit — sharp tools make it profitable.
利 — grain 禾 + knife 刂
Originally a pictograph showing a knife (刂) cutting grain (禾), depicting harvest. From the idea of a sharp blade reaping crops, it extended to mean 'sharp,' then 'benefit,' 'profit,' or 'advantage' — the gain that comes from a successful harvest.