益

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

皿 (그릇 명) — semantic component, representing a container or vessel that can be filled or overflow.

益 (itself simplified from 𣶒, with 水 and 皿) — originally depicting water overflowing a vessel, symbolizing “increase, abundance.”

Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「益，溢也。从水，皿聲。」

“益 means overflow (溢). Composed of 水 (water) and 皿 (dish).”

The idea of overflowing naturally extended to increase and benefit — something that exceeds its previous state or brings gain beyond the original measure.

Semantic development:

Physical sense: “to overflow” — as water filling and spilling from a vessel.

Quantitative sense: “to add, to increase” — something becoming greater in measure.

Abstract sense: “to benefit, to profit, to do good.”

Moral sense: “to bring virtue or welfare to others.”

Thus, 益 encompasses not only material growth but also moral improvement and shared prosperity.

益 is widely used in classical and modern Chinese, Korean, and Japanese vocabulary to convey the ideas of benefit, gain, increase, profit, and virtue.

利益 (이익) — profit, advantage

有益 (유익) — beneficial, useful

公益 (공익) — public good

損益 (손익) — loss and gain

益處 (익처) — advantage, benefit

益友 (익우) — a virtuous friend (literally, “beneficial companion”)

增益 (증익) — increase, augmentation

受益者 (수익자) — beneficiary

In Confucian and Daoist traditions, 益 signifies the act of increasing what is good or useful, and is often paired with 損 (손, decrease) as complementary opposites in natural balance.

「損益盈虛，與時偕行。」 (Book of Changes, 易經 )

“Loss and gain, fullness and emptiness, all move in harmony with the time.”

Here, 益 represents increase or benefit in balance with 損 (loss) — a recurring dual concept in Chinese philosophy.

The Book of Changes (易經, Hexagram 42 “益”):

「益，利有攸往，利涉大川。」

“Increase — it is beneficial to advance, beneficial to cross the great river.”

This passage implies that true increase (益) is not selfish accumulation but beneficial progress that aids others and aligns with the Way (道).

「天之道，損有餘而補不足；人之道，損不足以奉有餘。」

“The Way of Heaven decreases what is excessive and adds (益) to what is lacking;

the way of man does the opposite — taking from the poor to serve the rich.”

Hence, 益 is the Heavenly principle of balance and generosity — the natural act of adding where there is need.

Symbolic interpretation:

The overflowing vessel represented by 益 reflects abundance shared rather than hoarded.

True “increase” lies in adding virtue, knowledge, or well-being to oneself and others — a concept deeply moral as well as material.

「益者三樂：樂施於人，樂學於道，樂守於正。」 《禮記·中庸》第十二章 (Lǐjì, Book of Rites, “Doctrine of the Mean,” §12)

“There are three joys of increase: joy in giving to others, joy in learning the Way, and joy in keeping righteousness.”

Thus, 益 stands as a symbol of growth, benevolence, and harmony, expressing that the greatest gain is that which benefits all.

It remains central in moral, economic, and spiritual vocabulary across East Asia, embodying the timeless idea that true profit is shared prosperity.

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.

U+FA17 - a CJK compatibility ideograph for the historical form found in the Kangxi dictionary which contains 八 as its upper component.

U+FAA6 - a CJK compatibility ideograph for the alternative hanja used in North Korea which contains 丷 as its upper component.