十分之九 (shí fēn zhī jiǔ) — nine tenths; 90%

Definition

A literal fraction phrase 'nine tenths (90%)' built as 十分之 + digit. Translates English 'nine out of ten' as a proportion, not a count.

numeral
nine tenths90%

Examples

  • 十分之九。
    shí fēn zhī jiǔ De tóng xué dōu tōng guò le kǎo shì.
    Nine tenths of the students passed the exam.
  • 十分之九。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù de wán chéng lǜ yǐ jīng dá dào shí fēn zhī jiǔ.
    The completion rate of this project has already reached 90%.
  • 十分之九。
    Dì qiú biǎo miàn yǒu shí fēn zhī jiǔ bèi hǎi yáng fù gài.
    About nine tenths of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape comes from a stylized hand bent at the wrist, with the lower-right hook showing the bend. Later, it was taken to show a tightened fist bumping up to ten, giving the number nine.

Open 九 →

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