jiàn lì wàng yì: 见利忘义 - To Forget Principles for Profit, To Sell Out

• Keywords: jian li wang yi, jianliwangyi, 见利忘义, Chinese idiom for greed, forget principles for profit, see profit forget morality, greedy and ungrateful meaning, Chinese idiom for selling out, betrayal for money, putting profit before principles, what does jianliwangyi mean.
• Summary: 见利忘义 (jiàn lì wàng yì) is a powerful Chinese idiom that describes someone who forgets their principles, loyalty, or morality at the sight of profit. It's a strong condemnation used to criticize individuals or groups who betray trust, abandon friends, or act unethically for personal or financial gain. Understanding this term provides deep insight into the cultural importance of righteousness (义) over material wealth in Chinese philosophy.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiàn lì wàng yì
• Part of Speech: Idiom (成语, chéngyǔ); Adjective
• HSK Level: N/A (Advanced)
• Concise Definition: To see personal gain and forget one's moral principles.
• In a Nutshell: 见利忘义 is a four-character idiom that paints a vivid picture of a person's moral compass vanishing the moment an opportunity for profit appears. It’s a serious accusation of being a “sellout” in the deepest sense—not just of one's art or ideas, but of one's fundamental duties to friends, family, and society. It carries a heavy, negative weight and is used to describe acts of greed, betrayal, and disloyalty.

• 见 (jiàn): To see; to catch sight of.
• 利 (lì): Profit; benefit; advantage; gain.
• 忘 (wàng): To forget.
• 义 (yì): Righteousness; justice; morality; loyalty; a sense of duty, especially to one's comrades or friends.

These characters combine literally to mean “see profit, forget righteousness.” The power of the idiom comes from the direct cause-and-effect relationship it implies: the very sight of 利 (lì) instantly causes one to abandon 义 (yì), highlighting a profound character flaw.

The concept of 义 (yì) is a cornerstone of Confucian ethics and is deeply embedded in Chinese culture. It represents a complex code of honor, loyalty, duty, and justice that governs relationships between people. It’s the moral glue that binds friends, families, and communities. A person of high moral standing, a 君子 (jūnzǐ) or “noble person,” is expected to prioritize 义 (yì) over 利 (lì). Therefore, to accuse someone of 见利忘义 is one of the most severe social criticisms you can make. It implies they have betrayed this fundamental cultural value, placing them in the category of a 小人 (xiǎo rén), or a “petty person,” who lacks integrity and cannot be trusted. A Western analogue might be “selling one's soul” or being a “sellout.” However, the Western concept is often more individualistic (e.g., an artist “selling out” their vision). 见利忘义 carries a much stronger connotation of social betrayal—of letting down your friends, your partners, or your community in a moment of selfish greed. It’s a failure of one's social and moral obligations.

While it is a classical idiom, 见利忘义 is widely understood and used in modern contexts, although its strong, formal tone means it's more common in serious discussions, news reports, and literature than in casual slang.

• In Business: This is a very common term in the business world to describe unethical partners, competitors, or companies. It can refer to someone who breaks a contract for a better offer, steals a business idea, or backstabs a partner for a larger share of the profits.
• In Social Commentary: It's often used in media to criticize corrupt officials who accept bribes or public figures who abandon their responsibilities for personal enrichment.
• In Personal Relationships: You might hear this used to describe a “friend” who abandons their old friends after becoming wealthy or who betrays a secret for personal advantage. Using it in this context is extremely serious and could end a relationship.

The connotation is always negative and accusatory. It is not a term to be used lightly.

• Example 1:
  • 他为了得到那个职位，不惜出卖朋友，真是个见利忘义的小人。
  • Pinyin: Tā wèile dédào nàge zhíwèi, bùxī chūmài péngyǒu, zhēn shì ge jiàn lì wàng yì de xiǎorén.
  • English: In order to get that position, he didn't hesitate to sell out his friends. He's truly a petty person who forgets principles for profit.
  • Analysis: This is a classic use of the term to describe a profound personal betrayal for career advancement. Calling someone a `小人 (xiǎorén)` alongside `见利忘义` is a very strong condemnation.
• Example 2:
  • 我们不能和那种见利忘义的公司合作，他们根本没有商业信誉。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bùnéng hé nà zhǒng jiàn lì wàng yì de gōngsī hézuò, tāmen gēnběn méiyǒu shāngyè xìnyù.
  • English: We can't cooperate with that kind of company that puts profit before principles; they have absolutely no business credibility.
  • Analysis: Here, the idiom is used as an adjective to describe a company's entire character, warning against doing business with them.
• Example 3:
  • 做人要有底线，绝不能见利忘义。
  • Pinyin: Zuòrén yào yǒu dǐxiàn, jué bùnéng jiàn lì wàng yì.
  • English: As a person, you must have a bottom line; you absolutely cannot abandon your principles for gain.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the idiom as a moral instruction or a piece of advice, setting it up as the opposite of ethical behavior (`有底线`, have a bottom line).
• Example 4:
  • 历史上有太多见利忘义而最终身败名裂的故事。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shàng yǒu tài duō jiàn lì wàng yì ér zuìzhōng shēnbàimíngliè de gùshì.
  • English: History is full of stories of people who forgot their principles for profit and ultimately ended up ruined and disgraced.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates its use in a more formal, literary context to discuss historical lessons.
• Example 5:
  • 他发财以后，就忘了曾经帮助过他的穷朋友，大家都说他见利忘义。
  • Pinyin: Tā fācái yǐhòu, jiù wàng le céngjīng bāngzhù guò tā de qióng péngyǒu, dàjiā dōu shuō tā jiàn lì wàng yì.
  • English: After he got rich, he forgot about the poor friends who had once helped him. Everyone says he's ungrateful and puts profit before people.
  • Analysis: This links the idiom directly to ingratitude (`忘恩负义`), a very common theme associated with it.
• Example 6:
  • 这家工厂为了降低成本，使用劣质材料，真是见利忘义的行为。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngchǎng wèile jiàngdī chéngběn, shǐyòng lièzhì cáiliào, zhēn shì jiàn lì wàng yì de xíngwéi.
  • English: This factory uses inferior materials to reduce costs; this is truly an act of putting profit before morality.
  • Analysis: The term is applied here to a specific action (`行为, xíngwéi`), judging it as morally bankrupt.
• Example 7:
  • 虽然诱惑很大，但他守住了自己的原则，没有做出见利忘义的事情。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán yòuhuò hěn dà, dàn tā shǒuzhù le zìjǐ de yuánzé, méiyǒu zuòchū jiàn lì wàng yì de shìqing.
  • English: Although the temptation was great, he held on to his principles and did not do anything that would betray his morals for gain.
  • Analysis: This example shows the term used in the negative to praise someone for *not* succumbing to temptation.
• Example 8:
  • 在商场上，你必须小心那些见利忘义的竞争对手。
  • Pinyin: Zài shāngchǎng shàng, nǐ bìxū xiǎoxīn nàxiē jiàn lì wàng yì de jìngzhēng duìshǒu.
  • English: In the world of business, you must be careful of those competitors who would abandon principles for profit.
  • Analysis: A practical warning, framing `见利忘义` as a dangerous trait in a competitive environment.
• Example 9:
  • 别被他表面的友善骗了，他是个见利忘义的人。
  • Pinyin: Bié bèi tā biǎomiàn de yǒushàn piàn le, tā shì ge jiàn lì wàng yì de rén.
  • English: Don't be fooled by his superficial friendliness; he's the type of person who would sell you out for his own benefit.
  • Analysis: This highlights the deceptive nature of someone who might be described with this idiom. Their lack of `义 (yì)` is a hidden character flaw.
• Example 10:
  • 一个真正的君子，是宁可舍弃利益，也不会见利忘义的。
  • Pinyin: Yí ge zhēnzhèng de jūnzǐ, shì nìngkě shěqì lìyì, yě bú huì jiàn lì wàng yì de.
  • English: A true gentleman would rather forsake profit than forget his principles at the sight of gain.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly contrasts the behavior with the Confucian ideal of a `君子 (jūnzǐ)`, placing it in its proper philosophical context.

• Don't Underestimate Its Severity: A common mistake for learners is to use this term for simple selfishness. 见利忘义 is much stronger. Someone who is just `小气 (xiǎoqì)` (stingy) or `自私 (zìsī)` (selfish) is not necessarily `见利忘义`. This idiom implies a moment of choice where a person actively chooses 利 (profit) over 义 (morality/loyalty), often involving an act of betrayal.
• False Friend: “Opportunistic”: While a `见利忘义` person is opportunistic, not every “opportunist” is `见利忘义`. Being opportunistic can sometimes be a neutral or even positive trait (e.g., “an opportunistic investor”). `见利忘义` is always a severe moral condemnation.
• Incorrect Usage Example:
  • Incorrect: 他吃了最后一块蛋糕，太见利忘义了！(Tā chī le zuìhòu yí kuài dàngāo, tài jiàn lì wàng yì le!) - He ate the last piece of cake, he's so `jianliwangyi`!
  • Why it's wrong: Eating the last piece of cake is merely selfish. There is no great moral principle or loyalty (`义`) being violated. The “profit” (`利`) is trivial and there is no betrayal. A better word would be `自私 (zìsī)`.

• 唯利是图 (wéi lì shì tú): A very close synonym meaning “to only seek profit.” It describes someone whose sole motivation is personal gain, often ignoring all other considerations.
• 重利轻义 (zhòng lì qīng yì): A synonym meaning “to value profit and look down on righteousness.” It describes the same value system as `见利忘义`.
• 忘恩负义 (wàng ēn fù yì): “To forget kindness and betray righteousness.” This is very similar but specifically emphasizes ingratitude. The betrayal stems from forgetting a past favor (`恩, ēn`).
• 过河拆桥 (guò hé chāi qiáo): “To tear down the bridge after crossing the river.” Describes the act of abandoning someone right after they've helped you achieve a goal. A person who is `见利忘义` will often do this.
• 不择手段 (bù zé shǒu duàn): “By any means necessary; unscrupulous.” This describes the methods a `见利忘义` person might use to achieve their goals.
• 舍生取义 (shě shēng qǔ yì): The ultimate antonym. “To sacrifice one's life for the sake of righteousness.” This idiom represents the highest moral ideal in Confucianism.
• 义 (yì): The core cultural concept of righteousness, loyalty, and moral duty that is abandoned in `见利忘义`.
• 君子 (jūnzǐ): The Confucian ideal of a “noble person” or “gentleman,” who would never be `见利忘义`.
• 小人 (xiǎo rén): The opposite of a `君子`; a “petty” or “base” person, who is considered the most likely type to be `见利忘义`.