一万
yí wàn
Ten thousand · trad. 一萬
一万 (yí wàn) is the number ten thousand in Mandarin Chinese. It is a fundamental unit in the Chinese counting system, often used as a base for larger numbers.
What does 一万 (yí wàn) mean?
一万 (yí wàn) means “ten thousand” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “one myriad.”
When to use it
Neutral and common. It is used in all contexts, from everyday conversation to formal financial reports. Chinese numbers are grouped by ten thousands, not thousands, so 一万 is a key building block.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “ee-WAHN.” The first character 一 (yī) changes to a rising tone (yí) when followed by a falling tone, as in 万 (wàn).
Other ways to say it
- 几万jǐ wàntens of thousands / several tens of thousands
- 百万bǎi wànmillion (hundred ten thousands)
- 千万qiān wànten million (thousand ten thousands)
Examples
这辆车一万块钱。
zhè liàng chē yí wàn kuài qián.
This car costs ten thousand yuan.
他有超过一万名粉丝。
tā yǒu chāoguò yí wàn míng fěnsī.
He has over ten thousand followers.
我们公司每年生产一万台电脑。
wǒmen gōngsī měinián shēngchǎn yí wàn tái diànnǎo.
Our company produces ten thousand computers every year.
Pro tip: Remember that Chinese counts in units of 万 (wàn, ten thousand), not 千 (qiān, thousand). So 10,000 is 一万, not “ten thousand.”
Related phrases
两 · Two (liǎng)二十 · Twenty第一 · First
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