Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
億 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
億yìhundred million; manyzg, 15 strokes, radical 亻
yì(yi4)yi T4
  1. 1hundred million; many
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

億yì(yi4)

The character 億 (yì) means 'hundred million' in Chinese, representing a large quantity often used in financial contexts or when discussing populations. It captures the idea of abundance or a vast number, and is commonly found in numerals or statistics.

Strokes15Radical亻
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, large numbers have significant importance, especially in business and economics. The concept of wealth and prosperity is often associated with large sums like 億, reflecting societal values around success.

Memory tip

Imagine a giant 'Yeti' (sounds like 'yì') standing on a mountain of one hundred million coins. The sheer volume of coins represents the meaning of the character, reinforcing the association with vast quantities.

Meanings of 億

yì(yi4)
1hundred million; many
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 億 means.

About 億

億Simplified
15Strokes
亻Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 億

JasonAmy

Podcast: 億

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 億

Usage Notes

When using 億, it's important to remember that it is primarily used in formal contexts such as financial reports or population statistics. A common mistake is to confuse it with the word for 'thousand' (千, qiān), so be cautious with numeral placements.

HSK Study Tips

Although 億 does not appear in the HSK examinations, it's useful for learners at higher levels when discussing large numbers. Focus on its placement in sentences and its relationship to other large numeral characters like 千 (thousand) and 萬 (ten thousand).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 億 with 萬, leading to errors like saying '五萬' (50,000) instead of '五億' (500 million) when discussing large figures. Always double-check the context to ensure the correct numeral is used.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 億

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 億 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 億 to you

Let me explain 億 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 億 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How well do you know 億?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 億 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 億

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 乙 represents the sound. Simplified form of 億.

Memory hint

people

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)意
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

億 = 亻 + 意. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 億

IDS Structure⿰亻意
億Full character
=
亻ren2
left
意Yi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 億?

How to say hundred million; many in Chinese

“hundred million; many” in Chinese is億yì

The character 億 (yì) means 'hundred million' in Chinese, representing a large quantity often used in financial contexts or when discussing populations. It captures the idea of abundance or a vast number, and is commonly found in numerals or statistics.

When to use 億

When using 億, it's important to remember that it is primarily used in formal contexts such as financial reports or population statistics. A common mistake is to confuse it with the word for 'thousand' (千, qiān), so be cautious with numeral placements.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 億 with 萬, leading to errors like saying '五萬' (50,000) instead of '五億' (500 million) when discussing large figures. Always double-check the context to ensure the correct numeral is used.

Write 億

億

Practice writing 億 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 億?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Cultural Notes for 億

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, large numbers like 'hundred million' are also significant, but they may not carry the same cultural weight or frequency in everyday discussions as they do in Chinese economic contexts.

Word Family of 億

Words containing this character6
数十亿several billion數十億
亿yì100 million億
数以亿计countless數以億計
亿万millions and millions億萬
十亿giga-十億
千亿myriads千億
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 億

What does 数十亿 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 億

You can use 億 to express large amounts, for example: '這個城市的人口超過一億' (The population of this city exceeds one hundred million).

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 億?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab