利用
lìyòng · HSK 3
use
🔧 利 (profit/sharp) + 用 (use) = use something for profit/gain
利 originally depicted a blade cutting grain — sharp, hence profitable. 用 means to use or apply. Together: to put something to use, often for one's own benefit — hence the 'exploit' nuance.
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.
用 — pictograph of a bucket or wooden pail
用 originally depicted a bucket or container, possibly a sacrificial vessel made of wood. Over time it was borrowed to mean 'to use' or 'employ,' losing its concrete object sense. The modern meaning 'use' has been standard since early classical Chinese.