利益
りえき · rieki · JLPT N3 · noun
net income
💰📈 利 advantage + 益 increase = profits, gain stacked on gain
利 is grain 禾 plus a knife 刂: harvest cut, so a benefit. 益 means to increase, as in 有益 (beneficial). Two words for gain together make profits. For sound, ri-eki: re-earn your money.
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.