亿分之亿 (yì fēn zhī yì) — (fixed phrase) extremely small probability; one…

Definition

Literally 'one over a hundred million' — a rhetorical way to say 'a one-in-a-hundred-million chance', stressing that something is almost impossibly unlikely.

numeral

(fixed phrase) extremely small probabilityone in a hundred million (rhetorical)

Examples

亿分之亿。
Zhè zhǒng shì gù fā shēng de gài lǜ zhǐ yǒu yì fēn zhī yì.
The probability of this kind of accident is only one in a hundred million.
亿分之亿。
Tā zhōng cǎi piào de jī lǜ jī hū shì yì fēn zhī yì.
His chance of winning the lottery is almost one in a hundred million.
，亿分之亿。
Kē xué jiā shuō rén lèi miè jué de kě néng xìng suī rán hěn xiǎo, dàn jué fēi yì fēn zhī yì.
Scientists say the possibility of human extinction is very small, but by no means one in a hundred million.

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 →

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

八刀分

八八bāto separate
刀刀dāoknife

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.

止止zhǐfoot
一一yīthe beginning place

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

Open 之 →