数亿 (shù yì) — several hundred million

Definition

A large round-number expression meaning 'several hundred million' (数 + 亿). Used for emphasizing very large quantities, more emphatic and literary than 上亿 or 几亿.

numeral
several hundred million

Examples

  • 数亿。
    Zhōng guó yǒu shù yì rén kǒu.
    China has several hundred million people.
  • 数亿。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de shì zhí chāo guò shù yì měi yuán.
    This company's market value exceeds several hundred million dollars.
  • 数亿，。
    shù yì Nián qián, zhè lǐ hái shì yí piàn hǎi yáng.
    Several hundred million years ago, this place was still an ocean.

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.

数shùseveral
亿yìhundred million

数 means several and 亿 means hundred million; together they give a quantity of several hundred million.

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 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu數shù(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Open 数 →

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 →

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