Meanings of 億
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About 億
Podcast: 億
Podcast: 億
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AI Study Notes for 億
When using 億, it's important to remember that it is primarily used in formal contexts such as financial reports or population statistics. A common mistake is to confuse it with the word for 'thousand' (千, qiān), so be cautious with numeral placements.
Although 億 does not appear in the HSK examinations, it's useful for learners at higher levels when discussing large numbers. Focus on its placement in sentences and its relationship to other large numeral characters like 千 (thousand) and 萬 (ten thousand).
Learners often confuse 億 with 萬, leading to errors like saying '五萬' (50,000) instead of '五億' (500 million) when discussing large figures. Always double-check the context to ensure the correct numeral is used.
Pronunciation of 億
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Etymology of 億
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 乙 represents the sound. Simplified form of 億.
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Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 億
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 乙 represents the sound. Simplified form of 億.
- 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half意 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaypeople
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Decomposition of 億
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How to say hundred million; many in Chinese
“hundred million; many” in Chinese is億
The character 億 (yì) means 'hundred million' in Chinese, representing a large quantity often used in financial contexts or when discussing populations. It captures the idea of abundance or a vast number, and is commonly found in numerals or statistics.
When to use 億
When using 億, it's important to remember that it is primarily used in formal contexts such as financial reports or population statistics. A common mistake is to confuse it with the word for 'thousand' (千, qiān), so be cautious with numeral placements.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 億 with 萬, leading to errors like saying '五萬' (50,000) instead of '五億' (500 million) when discussing large figures. Always double-check the context to ensure the correct numeral is used.
Write 億
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Practice writing 億 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Cultural Notes for 億
In Western cultures, large numbers like 'hundred million' are also significant, but they may not carry the same cultural weight or frequency in everyday discussions as they do in Chinese economic contexts.
Word Family of 億
Compound Meaning
What does 数十亿 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 億
You can use 億 to express large amounts, for example: '這個城市的人口超過一億' (The population of this city exceeds one hundred million).
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