损人利己

sǔn rén lì jǐ

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Rare

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Definitions

1. harming others for one's personal benefit (idiom); personal gain to the detriment of others

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Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 损人不利己 sǔn rén bù lì jǐ 损人不利己 sǔn rén bù lì jǐ to harm others without benefiting oneself (idiom) 指伤害别人却没有给自己带来好处，与‘损人利己’相关但结果不同。: to harm others without benefiting oneself (idiom)
• 唯利是图 wéi lì shì tú 唯利是图 wéi lì shì tú (idiom) to be bent solely on profit; to put profit before everything else 指一心只追求利益，可能包含损人的行为。: (idiom) to be bent solely on profit; to put profit before everything else

Synonyms

1 item

• 自私自利 zì sī zì lì 自私自利 zì sī zì lì everything for self and selfish profit (idiom); with no regard for others 指为了自己的利益而不顾别人，但‘损人利己’更强调通过损害他人来获利。: everything for self and selfish profit (idiom); with no regard for others

Usage notes

Collocations

‘损人利己’ is often used in the negative: ‘不损人利己’ (not harming others for personal gain) to emphasize ethical behavior. Avoid using it to simply mean selfishness in neutral contexts.

Common mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse ‘损人利己’ with ‘自私自利’ (selfish). ‘损人利己’ specifically means benefiting oneself by harming others, while ‘自私自利’ is a broader term for selfishness without necessarily causing harm.

Example Sentences

1 shown

我们不能做 损人利己 的事。

We must not do things that harm others to benefit ourselves.

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Child Words of 损人利己

• 人 人 rén: person; people
• 利 利 lì: sharp
• 损 损 sǔn: to decrease; to lose
• 利己 利己 lì jǐ: personal profit
• 己 己 jǐ: self
• 损人 损人 sǔn rén: to harm others