万分之一 (wàn fēn zhī yī) — one ten-thousandth; (idiom) a tiny fraction, an extremely small amount

Definition

Literal 'one ten-thousandth' (a fraction equal to 0.0001). Idiomatically, it means an extremely tiny chance or amount — used like 'one in ten thousand' in English.

numeral
one ten-thousandth
idiom
a tiny fractionan extremely small amount

Examples

  • 万分之一。
    Zhè jiàn shì fā shēng de kě néng xìng zhǐ yǒu wàn fēn zhī yī.
    The probability of this happening is only one in ten thousand.
  • 万分之一。
    Tā chéng gōng de xī wàng lián wàn fēn zhī yī dōu bú dào.
    His hope of success is less than one ten-thousandth.
  • ，万分之一。
    Zài zhè me duō rén lǐ, néng zhǎo dào tā de jī huì zhǐ yǒu wàn fēn zhī yī.
    Among so many people, the chance of finding him is only one in ten thousand.

Origin

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

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Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

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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 →

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