📖 Meaning
To use one's capital or principal to seek profit. It describes the basic business principle of investing money in order to earn a return. The phrase emphasizes the legitimate, straightforward nature of commercial activity where one risks capital to gain profit.
📜 Origin Story
将本求利 is a traditional expression rooted in Chinese commercial culture, describing the fundamental logic of trade and commerce. It reflects the long-standing merchant ethos in ancient China, where traders invested their principal capital in goods or ventures expecting a reasonable return. The phrase appears in vernacular literature and merchant manuals of the Ming and Qing dynasties, embodying the pragmatic economic thinking of the time. Unlike pejorative terms for profiteering, it carries a neutral or mildly positive tone, acknowledging the natural right of merchants to earn profit from their investment.
💡 Example Usage
商人将本求利本是天经地义之事，只要童叟无欺便无可指责。
It is perfectly justified for a merchant to invest capital in pursuit of profit, so long as they deal honestly with all customers.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 将本求利
- Pinyin: jiāng běn qiú lì
- Literal Translation: use, capital, seek, profit
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4