maan6萬万
Jyutpingmaan6
Yalemaahn
Definition
Ten thousand.
colloquialnumbersmoney
How it's used
Cantonese speakers frequently use 萬 to describe large quantities in a hyperbolic sense, similar to how one might use 'thousands' or 'tons' in English. When referring to amounts between ten thousand and twenty thousand, it is common to say 萬幾 rather than 一萬幾. It is also standard to omit the 一 when saying exactly ten thousand in many contexts, simply using 萬.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly include the word 一 before 萬 when it is not strictly necessary, especially in casual speech. While saying 一萬 is grammatically correct, native speakers often drop the 一 for brevity unless they are emphasizing the specific number.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
