核心畫面

You can picture profit as what is left over and moved forward after a deal is done: you put money and effort in, you cover what it cost, and whatever stays in your hand is your gain. The root idea is 'going forward / coming out ahead' — you end up further along than you started.

可以想成:一筆生意做完之後,「往前推進、留在手上的那一塊」。你先投入錢和力氣,把成本扣掉,剩下來的就是你的所得——重更多收起可以想成:一筆生意做完之後,「往前推進、留在手上的那一塊」。你先投入錢和力氣,把成本扣掉,剩下來的就是你的所得——重點在於你比一開始「更往前一步、佔到了便宜」。從這個「向前、得益」的畫面出發,這個字無論當名詞還是動詞,談的都是同一件事。

From the word’s history

From Latin 'profectus' (progress, advance), from 'proficere' to go forward / accomplish (pro- 'forward' + facere 'to do'). The modern core 'what you gain / come out ahead' grows straight from 'to advance, to come out ahead'.

源自拉丁文 proficere「向前進、有所成就」(pro-「向前」+ facere「做」),名詞形 profectus 是「進展、前進」。現代「所得、佔到便宜」的核心,就是從「向前、得益、比原來更進一步」這個畫面長出來的。

etymonline.com (entry 'profit')

Two branches

金錢上的利潤

把「向前、得益」這個核心套到錢上:做完買賣、扣掉成本後留下來的那一塊,就是金錢意義上的「往前一步」。

business earnings · noun · B2

The money you have left after selling things or doing business, once your costs are paid.

利潤

非金錢的益處

同樣是「向前、得益」,只是這次收穫的不是錢,而是好處、長進。把利潤的畫面從錢包搬到人身上:你因為某件事而「更進一步」。

non-monetary benefit · noun · B2

An advantage or benefit you get from doing something (not about money).

益處、好處

原始詞典資料7 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

Profitname

  • 1

    A surname.

profitnoun/ˈpɹɒfɪt/

  • 1

    accountingbusinesseconomicsTotal income or cash flow minus expenditures. The money or other benefit a non-governmental organization or individual receives in exchange for products and services sold at an advertised price.

    • Let no man anticipate uncertain profits.
    • War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives... Of course, it isn't put that crudely in war time. It is dressed into speeches about patriotism, love of country, and "we must all put our shoulders to the wheel," but the profits jump and leap and skyrocket—and are safely pocketed.
  • 2

    datedliteraryBenefit, positive result obtained.

    • Reading such an enlightening book on the subject was of much profit to his studies.
    • This I speak for your own profit.

profitverb/ˈpɹɒfɪt/

  • 1

    To benefit (somebody), be of use to (somebody).

    • The word preached did not profit them.
    • It is a great means of profiting yourself, to copy diligently those excellent pieces and beautiful designs.
  • 2

    To benefit, gain.

  • 3

    To take advantage of, exploit, use.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形:

資料來源:英文維基詞典 English WiktionaryCC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。