益

益 U+76CA, 益 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-76CA ← 盉 [U+76C9] CJK Unified Ideographs 盋 → [U+76CB]

益 U+FA17, 益 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-FA17 ← 猪 [U+FA16] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 礼 → [U+FA18]

益 U+FAA6, 益 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-FAA6 ← 瘟 [U+FAA5] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 盛 → [U+FAA7]

Translingual

Alternative forms

• In Korean hanja, the upper component of the character is written 八 instead of 丷, which is also the historical form found in the Kangxi dictionary.
• A CJK compatibility ideograph exists at U+FA17 for the historical form found in the Kangxi dictionary which contains 八 as its upper component.
• A CJK compatibility ideograph exists at U+FAA6 for the alternative hanja used in North Korea which contains 丷 as its upper component.

Han character

益 (radical 108, 皿+5, 10 strokes, cangjie input 廿金月廿 (TCBT), four-corner 8010₇, composition ⿳䒑八皿(GHTJV or U+FAA6) or ⿱⿳八一八皿(K or U+FA17))

Derived characters

• 𪝞, 𭂚, 𭄷, 嗌, 塧, 㜋, 𡺬, 𭛃, 𭛽, 𪬘, 搤, 溢, 獈, 隘, 膉, 榏, 㱲, 𬎃, 䅬, 𮄷, 縊(缢), 𬙻, 𫆌, 艗, 螠, 謚(谥), 貖, 賹, 𬦜, 𬧬, 𨢘, 㬲, 𡒪, 鎰(镒), 𥂺, 𤐹, 𩝱, 𪤴, 𪕶, 齸, 𥃠
• 𪟢, 𨜶, 𣣼, 𬐭, 䚊, 𭘺, 𩔱, 𭾓, 鷁(鹢), 𧔈, 蠲, 𨽪, 𭗆, 𦶩, 𤸸, 𨶂, 𦿯

References

• KangXi: page 793, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 22972
• Dae Jaweon: page 1208, character 18
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2560, character 6
• Unihan data for U+76CA

• Unihan data for U+FA17

• Unihan data for U+FAA6

---

Chinese

simp. and trad.		益
alternative forms		𠍳 ancient form

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (益) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
隘	*qreːɡs
賹	*qreːɡs
搤	*qreːɡs, *qreːɡ
縊	*qleːɡs, *qleɡs
螠	*qleɡs
謚	*ɢliɡs, *qleɡ
諡	*ɢliɡs
蠲	*kʷliːŋ
溢	*liɡ
鎰	*liɡ
齸	*lig, *qleg
貖	*qreːɡ
益	*qleɡ
嗌	*qleɡ
膉	*qleɡ
鷁	*ŋɡleːɡ
艗	*ŋɡleːɡ

Ideogrammic compound (會意): 水 (“water”) + 皿 (“vessel”). Original form of 溢 (OC *liɡ, “to overflow”).

Etymology

Bodman (1980) relates it to Tibetan སྐྱེད (skyed, “growth; increase; profit; to generate”), སྐྱེ (skye, “to be born”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): yì (yi⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˋ

  (Chengdu, SP): yi²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic): йи (yi, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): jik¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): yet²

• Gan (Wiktionary): it⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yit

  (Meixian, Guangdong): yid⁵

• Jin (Wiktionary): ieh⁴
• Min Bei (KCR): ĭ
• Min Dong (BUC): ék
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): iah / ek / iak

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iah⁴

• Wu (Wiktionary): iq (T4)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): i⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: yì
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˋ
    • Wade–Giles: i4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yih
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yì
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: yi²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: i
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic: йи (yi, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: jik¹
    • Yale: yīk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jik⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: yig¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɪk̚⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: yet²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʒet̚⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: it⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /it̚⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yit
    • Hakka Romanization System: id`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yid<sup>5</sup>
    • Sinological IPA: /it̚²/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yit
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)id`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yid⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)it̚²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: yid⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /it̚¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ieh⁴
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /iəʔ²/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ék
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɛiʔ²⁴/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iah
    • Tâi-lô: iah
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iaq
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iaʔ³²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /iaʔ⁵/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ek
    • Tâi-lô: ik
    • Phofsit Daibuun: eg
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iɪk̚³²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iak
    • Tâi-lô: iak
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iag
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /iak̚⁵/

Note:

• iah - vernacular;
• iak/ek - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: iah⁴
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iah
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iaʔ²/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: iq (T4)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i̯ɪʔ⁵⁵/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: i⁶
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ʔiᴇk̚/

Rime
Character	益
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	昔 (123)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	伊昔切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔiᴇk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔiɛk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiæk̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔiajk̚/
Li Rong	/ʔiɛk̚/
Wang Li	/ĭɛk̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ɛk̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yi

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*q[i]k/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qleɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	益
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yì
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjiek ›
Old Chinese	/*q[i]k/ (dialect: *-ik > *-ek)
English	increase
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	益
Reading #	1/1
No.	15081
Phonetic component	益
Rime group	錫
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	益
Old Chinese	/*qleɡ/

Definitions

益

1. profit; benefit
2. advantage
3. ^† more; further; even more

   日益  ―  rìyì  ―  day by day; increasingly

   • 如水益深，如火益熱，亦運而已矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     如水益深，如火益热，亦运而已矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, circa 4^th century BCE

     Rú shuǐ yì shēn, rú huǒ yì rè, yì yùn éryǐ yǐ. [Pinyin]

     If you make the water more deep and the fire more fierce, they will in like manner make another revolution.

4. 42nd hexagram of the I Ching
5. (Cantonese) to benefit; to advantage

Compounds

Derived terms from 益

• 一謙四益／一谦四益
• 三益
• 不無小益／不无小益
• 伯益
• 便益
• 保險利益／保险利益
• 兌換利益／兑换利益
• 公益 (gōngyì)
• 公益事業／公益事业 (gōngyì shìyè)
• 公益廣告／公益广告 (gōngyì guǎnggào)
• 公益捐
• 公益軟體／公益软体
• 公益金 (gōngyìjīn)
• 公賣利益／公卖利益
• 共益權／共益权
• 冇益
• 利益 (lìyì)
• 利益團體／利益团体 (lìyì tuántǐ)
• 利益均霑／利益均沾
• 利益輸送／利益输送
• 助益 (zhùyì)
• 受益 (shòuyì)
• 受益人
• 受益憑證／受益凭证
• 受益無窮／受益无穷
• 受益費／受益费
• 同益 (Tóngyì)
• 增益 (zēngyì)
• 多多益善 (duōduōyìshàn)
• 多多益辦／多多益办
• 大有助益
• 延年益壽／延年益寿 (yánniányìshòu)
• 徒勞無益／徒劳无益
• 徒費無益／徒费无益
• 得益 (déyì)
• 損上益下／损上益下
• 損人益己／损人益己
• 損益／损益 (sǔnyì)
• 收益 (shōuyì)

• 收益稅／收益税
• 效益 (xiàoyì)
• 教益 (jiàoyì)
• 文益
• 斟酌損益／斟酌损益
• 新益 (Xīnyì)
• 既得利益 (jìdé lìyì)
• 日增月益
• 日滋月益
• 日益 (rìyì)
• 日益壯大／日益壮大
• 日益月滋
• 曾益
• 有損無益／有损无益
• 有益 (yǒuyì)
• 本益比
• 李益
• 業主權益／业主权益
• 權益／权益 (quányì)
• 欲益反損／欲益反损
• 毗益
• 求益反損／求益反损
• 治絲益棼／治丝益棼
• 潤益／润益
• 無益／无益 (wúyì)
• 營業利益／营业利益
• 獨享權益／独享权益
• 獲益／获益 (huòyì)
• 獲益不淺／获益不浅
• 獲益匪淺／获益匪浅 (huòyìfěiqiǎn)
• 獲益良多／获益良多 (huòyìliángduō)
• 益上損下／益上损下
• 益友 (yìyǒu)
• 益古演段
• 益壽／益寿 (yìshòu)
• 益壽延年／益寿延年 (yìshòuyánnián)
• 益州
• 益智 (yìzhì)
• 益智圖／益智图

• 益智班
• 益母草 (yìmǔcǎo)
• 益氣／益气 (yìqì)
• 益氣生津／益气生津
• 益無忌憚／益无忌惮
• 益發／益发 (yìfā)
• 益者三友
• 益者三樂／益者三乐
• 益處／益处 (yìchù)
• 益蟲／益虫 (yìchóng)
• 益謙虧盈／益谦亏盈
• 益鳥／益鸟 (yìniǎo)
• 相得益彰
• 私益
• 窮且益堅／穷且益坚
• 窮當益堅／穷当益坚
• 精益求精 (jīngyìqiújīng)
• 純益／纯益
• 老當益壯／老当益壮 (lǎodāngyìzhuàng)
• 股東權益／股东权益
• 能源效益
• 自益權／自益权
• 良師益友／良师益友 (liángshīyìyǒu)
• 良朋益友
• 裒多益寡
• 補益／补益 (bǔyì)
• 裨益 (bìyì)
• 請益／请益
• 謙受益／谦受益
• 買菜求益／买菜求益
• 進益／进益 (jìnyì)
• 邊際利益／边际利益
• 錢謙益／钱谦益
• 開卷有益／开卷有益 (kāijuànyǒuyì)
• 附益 (fùyì)
• 集思廣益／集思广益 (jísīguǎngyì)
• 饒益／饶益
• 黈益

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (益):

• → Japanese: 益(えき) (eki); 益(やく) (yaku)
• → Korean: 익 (益, ik)
• → Vietnamese: ích (益)

---

Japanese

Kanji

益

(grade 5 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. benefit
2. gain
3. profit
4. advantage

Readings

• Go-on: やく (yaku, Jōyō ^†)
• Kan-on: えき (eki, Jōyō)
• Kun: ます (masu, 益す); ますます (masumasu, 益)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
益
えき Grade: 5
kan’on

From Middle Chinese 益 (MC ʔiᴇk̚, “increase”). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • (Tokyo) えき [èkí] (Heiban – [0])
  • (Tokyo) え​き [éꜜkì] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [e̞kʲi]

Noun

益(えき) • (eki) 

1. benefit
2. profit

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 益(えき)獣(じゅう) (ekijū)
• 益(えき)虫(ちゅう) (ekichū)
• 益(えき)鳥(ちょう) (ekichō)
• 益(えき)する (ekisuru)
• 共(きょう)益(えき) (kyōeki)
• 公(こう)益(えき) (kōeki)
• 国(こく)益(えき) (kokueki)
• 実(じつ)益(えき) (jitsueki)
• 収(しゅう)益(えき) (shūeki)
• 損(そん)益(えき) (son'eki)
• 無(む)益(えき) (mueki)
• 有(ゆう)益(えき) (yūeki)
• 利(り)益(えき) (rieki)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
益
やく Grade: 5
goon

From Middle Chinese 益 (MC ʔiᴇk̚, “increase”). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) や​く [yáꜜkù] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [ja̠kɯ̟ᵝ]

Noun

益(やく) • (yaku) 

1. benefit

Derived terms

• ご-利(り)益(やく) (go-riyaku), 御(ご)-利(り)益(やく) (go-riyaku)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
益
ますます Grade: 5
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 益 – see the following entry.

【ますます】 [adverb] even more Alternative spellings 益々, 増々, 増す増す, 益

(This term, 益, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

---

Korean

Hanja

益 (eumhun 더할 익 (deohal ik))

1. Hanja form^? of 익 (“gain; benefit”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 공익 (公益, gong-ik)
• 권익 (權益, gwonik)
• 수익 (收益, su-ik)
• 유익 (有益, yu-ik)
• 이익 (利益, iik)
• 편익 (便益, pyeonik)
• 다다익선 (多多益善, dadaikseon)

---

Vietnamese

Han character

益: Hán Việt readings: ích (伊(y)昔(tích)切(thiết))
益: Nôm readings: ích, ịch

1. Hán tự form of ích (“benefit”).
2. Nôm form of ịch (“thud”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 有益 (hữu ích)
• 利益 (lợi ích)
• 無益 (vô ích)