万一 (wàn yī) — (conjunction) just in case; if by any chance (i…

Definition

万一 emphasizes a remote, unlikely possibility — 'just in case it happens'. 如果 covers ordinary 'if'; 倘若/假使 are formal/literary 'if'.

conjunction

just in caseif by any chance (indicates a remote possibility one should prepare for)

noun

contingencya remote possibility

Examples

，万一。
Dài bǎ sǎn, wàn yī xià yǔ.
Take an umbrella just in case it rains.
万一，。
wàn yī Tā méi lái, wǒ men jiù xiān kāi shǐ.
If by any chance he doesn't come, we'll start without him.
，。
Duō dài xiē qián, yǐ fáng wàn yī.
Bring more money just in case.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

万wànten thousand

一yīone

一 (one) out of 万 (ten thousand) marks a remote possibility.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 萬; 万 is its simplified writing.

For 万, the form 萬 was originally a picture of a scorpion, later borrowed for its sound to write 'ten thousand'; the scorpion picture is unrelated to that number.

Open 万 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →