几十亿 (jǐ shí yì) — several billion; billions

Definition

Approximate 'several billion' — combines 几 (a few) with 十亿 (billion). Use when the exact number is unknown or unimportant, unlike 数十亿 which is more formal and often appears in written text.

numeral

several billionbillions

Examples

几十亿。
Quán shì jiè yǒu jǐ shí yì rén kǒu.
The world has several billion people.
几十亿。
Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuàn le jǐ shí yì měi yuán.
This company earned billions of dollars.
几十亿。
Kē xué jiā rèn wéi yǔ zhòu zhōng yǒu jǐ shí yì kē xīng xing.
Scientists believe there are billions of stars in the universe.

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.

几十several tens

几jǐseveral十shíten

偏正Modifier + head

亿yìhundred million

几 and 十 make several tens, which specifies a multiple of 亿, giving several billion.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 幾; 几 is its simplified writing.

𢆶𢆶𢆶silk threads; little things
戍戍shùto guard against

The traditional form 幾 puts 𢆶 (silk threads; little things) and 戍 (to guard against) together to show watching over the fine details; the simplified 几 is a later abbreviation.

Open 几 →

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

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

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 →

Appears in