shōuyì: 收益 - Profit, Gain, Income, Benefit

• Keywords: shouyi, 收益, profit in Chinese, income in Chinese, investment return, benefit, gain, Chinese business terms, HSK 5, financial Chinese
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 收益 (shōuyì), a versatile word meaning profit, income, gain, or return. This comprehensive guide explores its use in business, finance, and even personal development, moving beyond a simple definition. Understand the cultural significance of 收益 in modern China, how it differs from the English word “profit,” and how to use it correctly with practical examples. This is a must-know term for HSK 5 students and anyone engaging with the Chinese economy.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shōu yì
• Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A tangible or intangible gain, return, or benefit resulting from an action, effort, or investment.
• In a Nutshell: 收益 (shōuyì) is about what you “get back” for what you “put in.” While it's most commonly used in finance to talk about profit or investment returns, its meaning is broader than just money. You can get 收益 from reading a good book (the benefit of knowledge), from exercising (the benefit of health), or from a business venture (the benefit of financial profit). It's the positive outcome or “return” on any kind of input.

• 收 (shōu): This character means “to receive,” “to collect,” or “to accept.” Think of it as the action of gathering or taking something in.
• 益 (yì): This character means “benefit,” “profit,” or “advantage.” The character originally depicted water overflowing from a dish (皿), symbolizing a surplus or an abundance.

When combined, 收益 (shōuyì) literally means “to receive benefits” or “to collect a surplus.” This perfectly captures the modern meaning of a gain, profit, or beneficial return that is acquired.

While not a deeply philosophical term like 关系 (guānxi), 收益 (shōuyì) is central to the mindset of modern China. Following the economic reforms, the pursuit of 收益 became a primary driver of both individual and national ambition. It represents a pragmatic focus on results, growth, and tangible improvement. A key difference from the Western concept of “profit” is its breadth. In the West, “profit” is a relatively strict financial term (revenue minus costs). 收益 (shōuyì), however, can be applied much more broadly. A Chinese person might say reading a classic novel gave them great `收益`, meaning intellectual or spiritual benefit. This is a crucial distinction. While an American might say “I got a lot out of that book,” they would never say “I profited from that book” unless they sold it for more than they paid. This reflects a cultural perspective where the “return” on an activity—whether financial, intellectual, or physical—can be described with the same core concept of a valuable “gain.”

收益 is a standard, neutral-to-formal term used widely in both spoken and written Chinese.

This is the most common context. It refers to income, revenue, and investment returns. It's a cornerstone of financial vocabulary.

• `投资收益 (tóuzī shōuyì)` - Investment return
• `年收益率 (nián shōuyìlǜ)` - Annual rate of return
• `营业收益 (yíngyè shōuyì)` - Operating income/revenue

It is often used to describe the non-financial benefits gained from an experience or effort. It carries a slightly formal and sincere tone.

• `这次培训让我收益匪浅 (zhè cì péixùn ràng wǒ shōuyì fěi qiǎn)` - “This training benefited me greatly.” (A very common and useful set phrase).
• `和您聊天，我收益良多 (hé nín liáotiān, wǒ shōuyì liáng duō)` - “Chatting with you has been very beneficial for me.” (A polite way to express you've learned something from a conversation).

• Example 1:
  • 我们的公司今年收益不错。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de gōngsī jīnnián shōuyì bùcuò.
  • English: Our company's profits/returns are good this year.
  • Analysis: A common, straightforward use of 收益 in a business context to refer to overall financial gain.
• Example 2:
  • 这个投资的收益率是多少？
  • Pinyin: Zhège tóuzī de shōuyìlǜ shì duōshǎo?
  • English: What is the rate of return on this investment?
  • Analysis: Here, 收益 is part of a compound noun, `收益率 (shōuyìlǜ)`, meaning “rate of return,” a key term in finance.
• Example 3:
  • 读这本书让我收益良多。
  • Pinyin: Dú zhè běn shū ràng wǒ shōuyì liáng duō.
  • English: Reading this book has benefited me greatly.
  • Analysis: This shows the non-financial use of 收益. `良多 (liáng duō)` is a formal way to say “a lot.”
• Example 4:
  • 扣除成本后，我们的净收益是一百万元。
  • Pinyin: Kòuchú chéngběn hòu, wǒmen de jìng shōuyì shì yībǎi wàn yuán.
  • English: After deducting costs, our net profit is one million RMB.
  • Analysis: `净收益 (jìng shōuyì)` means “net income” or “net profit,” showing how 收益 can be modified for more specific accounting terms.
• Example 5:
  • 他从这次经历中收益匪浅。
  • Pinyin: Tā cóng zhè cì jīnglì zhōng shōuyì fěiqiǎn.
  • English: He benefited immensely from this experience.
  • Analysis: `收益匪浅 (shōuyì fěiqiǎn)` is a popular chengyu-like phrase meaning “to gain no small benefit.” It's a great fixed phrase to memorize.
• Example 6:
  • 这个项目的收益未达到预期。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù de shōuyì wèi dádào yùqī.
  • English: The return from this project did not meet expectations.
  • Analysis: A good example of using 收益 in a neutral or slightly negative context. `未达到预期 (wèi dádào yùqī)` means “did not reach expectations.”
• Example 7:
  • 每天坚持锻炼，对健康的收益是巨大的。
  • Pinyin: Měitiān jiānchí duànliàn, duì jiànkāng de shōuyì shì jùdà de.
  • English: Persisting in daily exercise brings huge benefits to one's health.
  • Analysis: This clearly illustrates the concept of a non-financial, long-term “return” on an “investment” of effort.
• Example 8:
  • 他主要靠股票收益生活。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhǔyào kào gǔpiào shōuyì shēnghuó.
  • English: He mainly lives on income from stocks.
  • Analysis: This specifies the source of the gain. It refers to capital gains or dividends, not a regular salary.
• Example 9:
  • 我们必须评估该政策的经济收益和社会收益。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū pínggū gāi zhèngcè de jīngjì shōuyì hé shèhuì shōuyì.
  • English: We must evaluate the economic benefits and social benefits of this policy.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how 收益 can be qualified to discuss different kinds of benefits, common in formal reports or academic discussions.
• Example 10:
  • 这次谈话没什么收益。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì tánhuà méishénme shōuyì.
  • English: This conversation wasn't very fruitful/beneficial.
  • Analysis: A simple, conversational way to express that an activity yielded no valuable outcome or information.

• `收益 (shōuyì)` vs. `利润 (lìrùn)`: This is a key distinction.
  • `利润 (lìrùn)` means “profit” in the strict accounting sense: Revenue - Costs = Profit. It's the “bottom line.”
  • `收益 (shōuyì)` is broader. It can mean “income” or “revenue” *before* costs are deducted. It can also mean non-financial “benefit.” A company's `总收益 (zǒng shōuyì)` (total revenue) could be high, but its `利润 (lìrùn)` (profit) might be low or negative.
• `收益 (shōuyì)` vs. `收入 (shōurù)`:
  • `收入 (shōurù)` is specifically “income,” especially money received on a regular basis like a salary (`工资收入 gōngzī shōurù`) or a company's total revenue.
  • `收益 (shōuyì)` is more about the “gain” or “return,” especially from an investment or a specific venture. Your salary is `收入`, but the money you make from selling stocks is a `收益`.
• Common Mistake: Do not use `收益` to talk about your monthly salary.
  • Incorrect: 我的每月收益是五千块。 (Wǒ de měi yuè shōuyì shì wǔqiān kuài.)
  • Correct: 我的月收入是五千块。 (Wǒ de yuè shōurù shì wǔqiān kuài.)
  • Correct: 我的工资是五千块。 (Wǒ de gōngzī shì wǔqiān kuài.)
  • Using `收益` for a salary implies you are profiting from your job in a transactional, investment-like way, which sounds unnatural.

• 利润 (lìrùn) - “Profit” (net). A purely financial term representing the money left after all expenses are paid. It is a specific type of `收益`.
• 收入 (shōurù) - “Income,” “revenue.” The total money coming in, before deducting costs. Your salary is `收入`.
• 回报 (huíbào) - “Return,” “reward.” Very similar to `收益`, but often emphasizes the idea of “getting something back” for a specific investment or favor (`投资回报 tóuzī huíbào`).
• 盈利 (yínglì) - “To make a profit” (verb) or “profit” (noun). Focuses on the state of being profitable. A company's goal is to `盈利`.
• 好处 (hǎochu) - “Benefit,” “advantage.” A very colloquial and general term. You would use this in casual conversation (“What's the benefit of doing this?”), but you would use `收益` on a financial statement.
• 效益 (xiàoyì) - “Benefit,” often implying efficiency or positive effect. This term focuses on the overall beneficial results produced by an action, such as `经济效益` (economic benefit/efficiency) or `社会效益` (social benefit).
• 得益于 (déyìyú) - “To benefit from,” “thanks to.” A formal prepositional phrase. Example: `公司的成功得益于团队的努力` (The company's success is thanks to the team's effort).