万

See also: 萬, 方, and ㄪ

万 U+4E07, 万 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E07 ← 丆 [U+4E06] CJK Unified Ideographs 丈 → [U+4E08]

Contents

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

万 (radical 1, 一+2, 3 strokes, cangjie input 一尸 (MS), four-corner 1022₇, composition ⿸丆𠃌)

References

• KangXi: page 76, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10
• Dae Jaweon: page 137, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 9, character 3
• Unihan data for U+4E07

---

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 万
Shang	Western Zhou
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions

Unknown. Used as a tribal name in oracle inscriptions. Used as a number since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Various theories have been proposed for its original meaning:

• Qu Wanli, Qiu Xigui and others propose that it originally refers to a type of dancer-musicians. This usage is attested in the oracle inscriptions. This may be supported by ancient literature, e.g. Shijing, which mentions a type of dance called 萬舞／万舞.
• Lin Yiguang proposes that it is an ancient form of 丏 (OC *meːnʔ), acting as a phonetic component in 賓 (OC *mpin).
• Some propose that it is a differentiated form of 亥.

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 万 – see 萬 (“scorpion; etc.”). (This character, 万, is the simplified and variant form of 萬.)

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Usage notes

Also used in a trisyllabic surname.

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		万

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mò (mo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mak⁶, maak⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: mò
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋ
    • Wade–Giles: mo⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moh
    • IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: mak⁶, maak⁶
    • Yale: mahk, maahk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mak⁹, maak⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: meg⁶, mag⁶
    • IPA ^(key): /mɐk̚²/, /mɑːk̚²/

---

• Middle Chinese: /mək̚/▼

Rime
Character	万
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	德 (131)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	莫北切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mək̚/
Pan Wuyun	/mək̚/
Shao Rongfen	/mək̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mək̚/
Li Rong	/mək̚/
Wang Li	/mək̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/mək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mò

• Old Chinese▼

  (Zhengzhang): /*mɯːɡ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	万
Reading #	2/2
No.	12614
Phonetic component	万
Rime group	職
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	墨
Old Chinese	/*mɯːɡ/

Definitions

万

1. Only used in 万俟 (Mòqí).

---

Japanese

Shinjitai	万
Kyūjitai	萬

Kanji

万

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 萬)

1. myriad, ten thousand
2. very many

Readings

As a simplification and variant of 萬:

• Go-on: もん (mon)
• Kan-on: ばん (ban, Jōyō)
• Kan’yō-on: まん (man, Jōyō)
• Kun: よろず (yorozu, 万)^{←よろづ (yorodu, historical)}
• Nanori: かず (kazu); かつ (katsu); すすむ (susumu); たか (taka); つむ (tsumu); つもる (tsumoru); ま (ma); ゆる (yuru); よし (yoshi)

As part of the surname 万俟:

• Go-on: もく (moku)
• Kan-on: ぼく (boku)

Compounds

Compounds

• 万一 (まんいち) (man'ichi): perhaps
• 万引 (まんびき) (manbiki): shoplifting
• 万屋 (よろずや) (yorozuya): general merchant
• 万 (まん)華 (げ)鏡 (きょう) (mangekyō): kaleidoscope
• 万 (ばん)感 (かん) (bankan): flood of emotions
• 万 (まん)機 (き) (manki): state affairs
• 万 (ばん)芸 (げい) (bangei): versatility
• 万 (ばん)古 (こ) (banko): old time, all this time, eternity
• 万 (ばん)劫 (ごう) (bangō): an extremely long period of time
• 万才 (まんさい) (mansai): ten thousand years old
• 万作 (まんさく) (mansaku): witch hazel
• 万 (ばん)死 (し) (banshi): critical state of the life
• 万 (ばん)寿 (じゅ) (banju), 万 (まん)寿 (じゅ) (manju): longevity
• 万 (ばん)丈 (じょう) (banjō): hurrah
• 万 (ばん)乗 (じょう) (banjō): sovereignty
• 万 (ばん)状 (じょう) (banjō): diversification
• 万 (まん)善 (ぜん) (manzen): ten thousand virtues, 万 (まん)全 (ぜん) (manzen): perfect
• 万 (まん)灯 (どう) (mandō): ten thousand lights
• 万博 (ばんぱく) (banpaku): international exposition
• 万 (まん)歩 (ぽ)計 (けい) (manpokei): pedometer
• 万 (ばん)万 (ばん) (banban): very much
• 万 (ばん)民 (みん) (banmin): all the people, the entire nation
• 万 (ばん)有 (ゆう) (ban'yū)
• 万 (まん)葉 (よう)仮 (が)名 (な) (man'yōgana)
• 万 (まん)葉 (よう)集 (しゅう) (man'yōshū)
• 万力 (まんりき) (manriki)
• 万斛 (ばんこく) (bankoku)
• 万 (ばん)軍 (ぐん) (bangun)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
万
まん Grade: 2
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 万 (MC mʉɐn^H, mək̚).

Pronunciation

• Kan’yōyomi
  • (Tokyo) ま​ん [máꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [mã̠ɴ]

Noun

万 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 萬, hiragana まん, rōmaji man)

1. ten thousand, 10,000, myriad
   • 1999 October 17, “３万まん年ねんの白しろ亀カメ [30,000-Year White Turtle]”, in BOOSTER 5, in Japanese), Konami, in Japanese), :

     ３万 (まん)年 (ねん)も生 (い)きつづけている巨 (きょ)大 (だい)カメ。守 (しゅ)備 (び)力 (りょく)が高 (たか)い。

     Sanman-nen mo ikitsuzukete iru kyodai kame. Shubiryoku ga takai.

     A giant turtle that has lived for over 30,000 years. It has high defense strength.

Derived terms

• 万 (まん)が一 (いち) (mangaichi)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
万
ばん Grade: 2
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 万 (MC mʉɐn^H, mək̚).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • (Tokyo) ば​ん [báꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [bã̠ɴ]

Adverb

万 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 萬, hiragana ばん, rōmaji ban)

1. (followed by a negative) even if, never
2. (followed by a negative) no matter what

Prefix

万 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 萬, hiragana ばん, rōmaji ban-)

1. many
2. all

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
万
よろず Grade: 2
kun’yomi

⟨yo₂ro₂du⟩ → /yorodu/ → /yorod͡zu/ → /yorozu/

From Old Japanese. Found in the oldest sources, such as the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE).

Appears to be a compound or inflection, but the derivation is unclear.

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) よ​ろず [yóꜜròzù] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • (Tokyo) よろず [yòrózú] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [jo̞ɾo̞zɨᵝ]

Noun

万 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 萬, hiragana よろず, rōmaji yorozu, historical hiragana よろづ)

1. ten thousand
2. a large number
3. all, everything

References