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亿 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
亿yì100 millionHSK 5, m, 3 strokes, radical 亻, rank #3216, Medium
亿yìhundred million; manyHSK 5, m, 3 strokes, radical 亻, rank #3216, Medium
yì(yi4) T4
  1. 1100 million
  2. 2hundred million; many
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
亿(億)yì(yi4)

The character 亿 (yì) refers to the quantity of one hundred million. It is commonly used in financial contexts, population statistics, and when discussing large numbers. In addition to its numeric meaning, it can also imply a vast amount or multitude in more abstract contexts.

Strokes3Radical亻Frequency#3216DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, large numbers like 亿 are often used in business and economic discussions, reflecting the significance of population and market size in China's economic landscape. For instance, when discussing China's internet users, the number often reaches into the billions.

Memory Tip

Think of 亿 (yì) as a big 'Y' shape in the character, representing the 'Y' in 'Yuge' for a very large number. Imagine a giant 'Y' holding up 100 million gold coins, making it unforgettable that 亿 means a hundred million.

Meanings of 亿

yì(yi4)
1100 million
2hundred million; many
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 亿

亿Simplified
億Traditional
3Strokes
亻Radical
数词shùcínumeral (num.)Part of Speech
#3216Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 亿

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Podcast: 亿

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AI Study Notes for 亿

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 亿 (yì) as a big 'Y' shape in the character, representing the 'Y' in 'Yuge' for a very large number. Imagine a giant 'Y' holding up 100 million gold coins, making it unforgettable that 亿 means a hundred million.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 亿 with similar characters like 十 (shí), which means ten. In formal texts, 亿 is often used in numerical data, while in informal contexts, it might be used metaphorically to suggest vastness. Ensure proper tone pronunciation, as incorrect tones can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 亿 connects with other numerical terms such as 千 (qiān, thousand) and 万 (wàn, ten thousand). Focus on recognizing its usage in large numbers and practice its pronunciation to avoid mixing it with similar characters.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, large numbers like 亿 are often used in business and economic discussions, reflecting the significance of population and market size in China's economic landscape. For instance, when discussing China's internet users, the number often reaches into the billions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 亿 with similar characters like 兆 (zhào, trillion) or 万 (wàn, ten thousand). For example, saying '一亿' (yī yì) is correct for 'one hundred million,' but saying '一万亿' (yī wàn yì) is incorrect when referring to the same quantity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 亿

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Etymology of 亿

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)乙
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 亿?

Decomposition of 亿

IDS Structure⿰亻乙
亿Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
乙yi3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 亿?

Write 亿

亿

Practice writing 亿 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 亿

亿 functions as a number. It almost always combines with a measure word before a noun (三个人, 五本书). Standalone numbers are rare outside of math or counting. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

该公司不得不为裁员支付4.72____英镑的补偿款。

The company has had to make redundancy payments of £472 million.

Common Confusions with 亿

亿vs十
shí

十 is a much smaller unit compared to 亿.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "100 million"?

or

Example Sentences for 亿 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
该公司不得不为裁员支付4.72亿英镑的补偿款。

gāi gōng sī bù dé bù wéi cái yuán zhī fù4.72 4.72 yì yīng bàng de bǔ cháng。

The company has had to make redundancy payments of £472 million.
2
这些恒星一定是形成于100到150亿年前。

zhè xiē héng xīng yī dìng shì xíng chéng yú100 100150 dào 150 yì。

The stars must have formed 10 to 15 billion years ago.
3
我把1亿美元藏到了一个永远没人会找到的地方。

wǒ bǎ1 1 yì měi yuán cáng dào le yī gè yǒng yuǎn méi rén huì zhǎo dào de dì。

I have $100m hidden away where no one will ever find it.
4
6月份的出口额上升了1.5%，创下309.1亿美元的历史最高纪录。

6 6 yuè fèn de chū kǒu é shàng shēng1.5%， le 1.5%，309.1 chuàng xià 309.1 yì měi yuán de lì shǐ zuì。

Exports in June rose 5% to a record $91 billion.
5
也许要花上几十亿卢布才能赔偿这一损失。

yě xǔ yào huā shàng jī shí yì lú bù cái néng péi cháng zhè yī sǔn shī。

It may cost several billion roubles to make good the damage.
6
他震惊地发现花费至少超了10亿美元。

tā zhèn jīng dì fā xiàn huā fèi zhì shǎo chāo le10 10 yì měi。

He was stunned to discover cost overruns of at least $1 billion.
7
列宁永远活在亿万人民的心中。

liè níng yǒng yuǎn huó zài yì wàn rén mín de xīn zhōng。

Lenin lives on in the minds and hearts of millions of people.
8
上个星期四，尼克宣布公司收入创下34亿美元的纪录。

shàng gè xīng qī sì， ， ní kè xuān bù gōng sī shōu rù chuàng34 xià 34 yì měi yuán de。

Last Thursday, Nick announced record revenues of $4 billion.
9
英国人每年花在玩具上的钱超过10亿英镑。

yīng guó rén měi nián huā zài wán jù shàng de qián chāo guò10 10 yì yīng。

Britons fork out more than a billion pounds a year on toys.
10
该项目的总成本会超过2.4亿美元。

gāi xiàng mù de zǒng chéng běn huì chāo guò2.4 2.4 yì měi。

The total cost of the project would be more than $240 million.

Cultural Notes for 亿

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, large numbers like 亿 are often used in business and economic discussions, reflecting the significance of population and market size in China's economic landscape. For instance, when discussing China's internet users, the number often reaches into the billions.

Word Family of 亿

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

Compound Meaning

What does 数十亿 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 亿

亿 is pronounced as 'yì' with a falling tone.