Meaning
万 means ten thousand — the number 10,000 — and by extension, any vast or uncountable multitude. Where English groups large numbers by thousands, Japanese uses 万 as its base unit. Past 9,999, 万 takes over: 一万 (ichiman) is 10,000, 十万 (jūman) is 100,000, 百万 (hyakuman) is 1,000,000, and so on.
万 also carries a philosophical sense of all things or everything in existence. The expression 万物 (banbutsu), drawn from Chinese Daoist philosophy, means exactly that — the totality of the natural world. This breadth gives 万 a weight beyond arithmetic: it is both a number and a symbol of boundless abundance.
The character is a simplified form of the traditional 萬. In ancient oracle-bone script, 萬 depicted a scorpion. The link to large numbers likely comes from the image of scorpions traveling in overwhelming swarms — too numerous to count. Over centuries the character was streamlined into the clean three-stroke 万 used in modern Japanese.
At just 3 strokes and introduced in Grade 2, 万 is among the first number kanji Japanese schoolchildren learn.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
万 has two on'yomi, both appearing in compounds and fixed expressions.
マン (man) — The standard reading for numerical expressions and most everyday compounds.
- 一万 (ichiman) — ten thousand (10,000)
- 万年筆 (mannenhitsu) — fountain pen (literally "ten-thousand-year brush")
- 万全 (manzen) — perfect, complete, flawless
バン (ban) — An older reading, mostly confined to classical or philosophical expressions. It carries a more formal, solemn tone than マン.
- 万歳 (banzai) — hurrah; long live (a celebratory exclamation)
- 万物 (banbutsu) — all things; the myriad things of nature
- 万能 (bannō) — almighty; all-purpose; omnipotent
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese reading
よろず (yorozu) — The native Japanese reading, older than the imported Chinese numerals. Rare in modern speech, it survives in classical literature, proverbs, and traditional shop names.
- 万 (yorozu) — a myriad; all things (poetic)
- 万屋 (yorozuya) — a general store; a jack-of-all-trades
- 万に一つ (yorozu ni hitotsu) — one in ten thousand; a rare occurrence
Common Words & Compounds
万 turns up across numbers, idioms, and everyday vocabulary.
Numerical expressions
- 一万 (ichiman) — ten thousand (10,000)
- 十万 (jūman) — one hundred thousand (100,000)
- 百万 (hyakuman) — one million (1,000,000)
- 千万 (senman) — ten million (10,000,000)
Idiomatic and descriptive compounds
- 万歳 (banzai) — hurrah; the cheer shouted at victories and celebrations
- 万全 (manzen) — perfect readiness; leaving nothing to chance
- 万能 (bannō) — all-purpose; omnipotent (e.g., 万能ナイフ = Swiss Army knife)
- 万物 (banbutsu) — all things in existence; the myriad things of nature
- 万一 (man'ichi) — just in case; in the unlikely event (literally "one in ten thousand")
Everyday vocabulary
- 万年筆 (mannenhitsu) — fountain pen
- 万引き (manbiki) — shoplifting
- 万屋 (yorozuya) — general store; someone who handles any kind of work
- 万博 (banpaku) — world exposition (short for 万国博覧会)
Example Sentences
この本は一万円です。
Kono hon wa ichiman en desu.
This book costs ten thousand yen.
万一のために、傘を持って行きましょう。
Man'ichi no tame ni, kasa wo motte ikimashō.
Let's bring an umbrella just in case.
試合に勝って、みんなが万歳と叫んだ。
Shiai ni katte, minna ga banzai to sakenda.
We won the match and everyone cheered "banzai!"
この刃物は万能で、どんな作業にも使えます。
Kono hamono wa bannō de, donna sagyō ni mo tsukaemasu.
This blade is all-purpose and can be used for any task.
彼は万全の準備をして試験に臨んだ。
Kare wa manzen no junbi wo shite shiken ni nozonda.
He prepared thoroughly and sat the exam without leaving anything to chance.
彼女は万年筆で手紙を書くのが好きです。
Kanojo wa mannenhitsu de tegami wo kaku no ga suki desu.
She likes to write letters with a fountain pen.
万物は時間とともに変わっていく。
Banbutsu wa jikan to tomo ni kawatte iku.
All things change with time.
百万人もの人がそのコンサートを見に来た。
Hyakuman nin mo no hito ga sono konsāto wo mi ni kita.
As many as one million people came to see that concert.
万屋では何でも売っている。
Yorozuya de wa nandemo utte iru.
At a general store, they sell everything.
Related Kanji
- 半 — Half (Kanji N5)
- 百 — Hundred (Kanji N5)
- 今 — Now, Present (Kanji N5)
- 三 — Three (Kanji N5)
- 十 — Ten (Kanji N5)
- 南 — South (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Picture 万 as a flag planted on a hill — one horizontal stroke at the top, a sweeping base below. In Japan, victorious armies raised banners and shouted banzai (万歳 — "ten thousand years!") to honor their emperor. That cheer contains 万, and the image of a flag flying over a vast, cheering crowd makes the meaning stick: too many people to count. Ten thousand, at minimum.