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 (Kangxi 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 Dictionary: 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

Historical forms of the character 益
Shang	Western Zhou
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions

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 / 会意): 水 (“water”) + 皿 (“vessel”). Original form of 溢 (OC *liɡ, “to overflow”). Upper component resembles 氺 (“water”) in a horizontal form.

Compare 易.

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, Sichuanese Pinyin): yi²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): йи (yi, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): jik¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): yet²

• Gan (Wiktionary): it⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yit

  (Hailu, HRS): rhid

  (Meixian, Guangdong): yid⁵

• Jin (Wiktionary): ieh⁴
• Northern Min (KCR): ĭ
• Eastern Min (BUC): ék
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ia⁶ / ih⁶
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): iah / ek / iak

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iah⁴

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁷iq
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): i⁶

---

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

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

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jik¹
    • Yale: yīk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jik⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: yig¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɪk̚⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: yet²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jet̚⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: it⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /it̚⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yit
    • Hakka Romanization System: id^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yid⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /it̚²/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yit
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)id^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yid⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)it̚²/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: rhid
    • Sinological IPA: /ʒit⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: yid⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /it̚¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ieh⁴
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /iəʔ²/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ék
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɛiʔ²⁴/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ia⁶
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: iā
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ia¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ia⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ia²¹/
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ih⁶
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ih
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iʔ²¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ih⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iʔ²/

Note:

• ia5 - vernacular;
• ih6 - literary.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iah
    • Tâi-lô: iah
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iaq
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iaʔ³²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /iaʔ⁵/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ek
    • Tâi-lô: ik
    • Phofsit Daibuun: eg
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iɪk̚³²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iak
    • Tâi-lô: iak
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iag
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /iak̚⁵/
Note:
• iah - vernacular;
• iak/ek - literary.
• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: iah⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iah
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iaʔ²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁷iq
    • MiniDict: ih^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴iq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /iɪʔ⁵⁵/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: i⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jiek

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
Baxter	'jiek
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔiᴇk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔiɛk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiæk̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔiajk̚/
Li Rong	/ʔiɛk̚/
Wang Li	/ĭɛk̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ɛk̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jik1

• 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. (obsolete) Original form of 溢 (yì, “to overflow”).

   • 澭水暴益，荊人弗知。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     澭水暴益，荆人弗知。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

     Yōngshuǐ bào yì, Jīng rén fú zhī. [Pinyin]

     The Yong River suddenly overflowed, but the Chu people did not know.

2. (literary) affluent; well-off
3. to increase; to add; to cause gain

   Antonym: 損 / 损 (sǔn)

   延年益壽／延年益寿  ―  yánniányìshòu  ―  to prolong life

   • 為學日益，為道日損。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     为学日益，为道日损。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Tao Te Ching, 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wéixué rì yì, wéidào rì sǔn. [Pinyin]

     He who devotes himself to learning seeks from day to day to increase; he who devotes himself to the Dao seeks from day to day to diminish.

   • 於是出私金以益公賞。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     于是出私金以益公赏。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Yúshì chū sījīn yǐ yì gōngshǎng. [Pinyin]

     Thus he expended his private money to add to the official rewards.

4. profit; benefit; gain

   收益  ―  shōuyì  ―  profit

   開卷有益／开卷有益  ―  kāijuǎnyǒuyì  ―  reading is beneficial

5. (literary) more; further; even more

   日益  ―  rìyì  ―  day by day; increasingly

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

     From: Mencius, c. 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.

6. 42nd hexagram of the I Ching
7. (Cantonese) to benefit; to advantage

   淨係益自己友 [Cantonese, trad.]
   净系益自己友 [Cantonese, simp.]

   zing⁶ hai⁶ jik¹ zi⁶ gei² jau^5-2 [Jyutping]

   to only benefit people in one's own circle

Synonyms

• (more):

edit

• 加二 (¹ka-gni) (Wu)
• 加偌 (Hokkien)
• 又加 (⁶yi-ka) (Wu)
• 又閣較 / 又阁较 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 彌 / 弥 (literary)
• 愈 (yù)
• 愈加 (yùjiā)
• 愈發 / 愈发 (yùfā)
• 愈益 (yùyì)
• 更 (gèng)
• 更加 (gèngjiā)
• 更見 / 更见 (gen⁴ jian⁴) (Sichuanese)
• 益發 / 益发 (yìfā)
• 罔 (muōng) (Eastern Min)
• 越
• 越加 (yuèjiā)
• 越發 / 越发 (yuèfā)
• 重 (Cantonese)
• 閣較 / 阁较 (Hokkien)

Compounds

• 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 (shòuyìrén)
• 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 (zēngyì)
• 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 (Yìzhōu)
• 益智 (yìzhì)
• 益智圖 / 益智图
• 益智班
• 益格
• 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 (xiāngdéyìzhāng)
• 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 (qǐngyì)
• 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)

Others:

• → Thai: อีก (ìik, “again, (do something) more”)

References

• “益”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–