亿万分之一 (yì wàn fēn zhī yī) — one in a hundred million (extremely rare); a very small probability

Definition

A literal 'one in a hundred million' used to stress that something is almost impossibly rare — a stronger, more emphatic way to say 'one in a million' (百万分之一). Often paired with 缘分 to mean an almost-miraculous chance encounter.

numeral
one in a hundred million (extremely rare)a very small probability

Examples

  • 亿万分之一。
    Néng yù dào nǐ zhēn shì yì wàn fēn zhī yī de yuán fèn.
    Meeting you is truly a one-in-a-billion fate.
  • 亿万分之一，。
    Zhè zhǒng jī huì yì wàn fēn zhī yī, nǐ yí dìng yào zhuā zhù.
    This kind of opportunity is one in a billion; you must seize it.
  • 亿万分之一，。
    Tā chéng gōng de gài lǜ zhǐ yǒu yì wàn fēn zhī yī, dàn tā zuò dào le.
    His chance of success was only one in a billion, but he made it.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 億; 亿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
意
意yì億yì
Same sound today

The traditional form 億 pairs 人 (person) with 意 for its sound; the simplified 亿 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 亿 →

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.

Open 分 →

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.

Open 之 →

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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