四百亿 (sì bǎi yì) — 40 billion | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

numeral

40 billion

四百亿。
Zhè jiā gōng sī de nián shōu rù dá dào le sì bǎi yì měi yuán.
This company's annual revenue reached 40 billion dollars.
四百亿。
Gāi jì huà jiāng hào fèi sì bǎi yì rén mín bì.
The plan will cost 40 billion RMB.
四百亿。
Qù nián gāi guó de chū kǒu zǒng é chāo guò sì bǎi yì.
Last year the country's total exports exceeded 40 billion.

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.

四百400

偏正Modifier + head

亿yì100 million

四百 (400) and 亿 (100 million) make 40 billion.

Characters in this word

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

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

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

一白百

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

意

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.