δΈ‡

JLPT N5

Ten thousand, myriad, a large number

Readings

On’yomi: γƒžγƒ³, バン (man, ban – rarely used)

Vocabulary

δΈ‡
まん
ten thousand
δΈ€δΈ‡
いけまん
ten thousand (number)
δΈ‡εΉ΄
まんねん
long time
δΈ‡δΊΊ
まんにん
many people
万円
γΎγ‚“γˆγ‚“
ten thousand yen

Example Sentences

δΈ€δΈ‡ε††γ‚γ‚ŠγΎγ™γ€‚
γ„γ‘γΎγ‚“γˆγ‚“ γ‚γ‚ŠγΎγ™γ€‚
I have ten thousand yen.
万人にηŸ₯γ‚‰γ‚Œγ¦γ„γΎγ™γ€‚
まんにんに γ—γ‚‰γ‚Œγ¦γ„γΎγ™γ€‚
It is known by many people.
万年筆を使います。
まんねんひ぀を ぀かいます。
I use a fountain pen.

Cultural Note

δΈ‡ (ten thousand) is very important in Japanese culture and numerals:
1. Numerical system:
o Unlike English, Japanese (and Chinese) groups numbers by myriads (10,000) rather than thousands.
o Example: 50,000 β†’ δΊ”δΈ‡ (ごまん, goman).
2. Symbolism:
o δΈ‡ can imply abundance, longevity, or multitude.
o Appears in phrases like δΈ‡ζ­³ (ばんざい), literally β€œten thousand years,” wishing long life.
3. Everyday usage:
o Used in prices, populations, statistics, and idioms like δΈ‡δΈ€ (まんいけ) for emergencies.
4. Historical origin:
o Derived from the older kanji 萬, simplified for easier writing.