About
The character "万" has a history of semantic borrowing, as its earliest form represented not a number but a type of scorpion or similar creature, a meaning now entirely obsolete. This original pictograph was eventually displaced in common usage by the far more complex traditional character "萬", which itself combined graphical elements suggesting a multitude or, by some interpretations, a creature with many legs. Through a process of phonetic loan, both forms came to represent the large numerical value of "ten thousand", a concept for which Chinese lacked a clear original character. The current simplified form "万" is not a modern creation but is actually a longstanding cursive and variant form that was standardized for its simplicity, directly inheriting the numerical meaning while shedding all pictorial connection to its ancient zoological origins.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这里有一万人。
万年以前有恐龙。
万一他不来怎么办？
我走了万里路。
春天万物复苏。
这个工具是万能的。
万一遇到困难，不要放弃。
他的存款有几十万元。