Traditional: 萬
wàn HSK 3

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

这本书一万块。
Zhè běn shū yī wàn kuài.
This book costs ten thousand yuan.
我有一万块钱。
Wǒ yǒu yī wàn kuài qián.
I have ten thousand yuan.
谢谢你的万种帮助。
Xièxie nǐ de wàn zhǒng bāngzhù.
Thank you for your many kinds of help.
这本书一万块。
Zhè běn shū yī wàn kuài.
This book costs ten thousand yuan.
他有一万本书。
Tā yǒu yī wàn běn shū.
He has ten thousand books.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 万 as 'ten thousand' by visualizing its shape: the top horizontal line can represent 'one,' and the lower part resembles a crowded group, symbolizing a large multitude. Associate it with common phrases like 一万块钱 (ten thousand yuan) to reinforce its numerical meaning.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. Common in financial, statistical, and general descriptions of large quantities (e.g., money, population). In figurative use (e.g., 万一 wànyī, 'just in case'), it is more idiomatic.

📖 Grammar Points

Used as a numeral before measure words (e.g., 一万个人). In numbers, it follows thousands and precedes smaller units (e.g., 三万五千). In idioms or set phrases, it can function as a noun or adjective (e.g., 万事如意).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 万 is historically significant as a base-10,000 counting system, differing from Western base-1,000. It is considered an auspicious number symbolizing abundance and completeness, often used in blessings (e.g., 万事如意).

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 千 (qiān, 'thousand'), 万 is ten times larger. Unlike 亿 (yì, 'hundred million'), which is larger, 万 is a more common unit for everyday large numbers. In figurative use, 万 implies 'all' or 'countless,' whereas 百 (bǎi, 'hundred') often implies 'numerous' but to a lesser degree.

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