万
10,000
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| まん | n/a | 刀 +  |
Meaning: 10,000
He cut the leaf with his sword at 10,000 miles per hour (or kilometers, if you’re from one of those countries).
When you see these two radicals, you should think, what would I do to a leaf with a sword? You’d cut it as fast as you could. At 10,000 mph.
Reading: まん
When you cut the leaf in half with your sword at 10,000 mph, it falls into the ocean. The ripples in the water attract 10,000 manatees (まん). They jump out of the water and swarm you, and you can feel their little manatee mouths all over you, tearing you apart.
Whenever we need to remember the reading まん we’ll use the word “manatee” – it’s better than something generic like “man.” Be sure to feel the manatees all over your body, biting and stinging you. The pain will help you to remember the reading. Keep thinking how you wish you hadn’t let the leaf fall in the ocean, because it’s what attracted them in the first place.
Vocabulary
a 万（まん）＝ 10,000
- Meaning: This is the number “10,000″
- Reading: It’s the same as the on’yomi, even though it’s alone, because it’s usually attached to something else, even when it’s just the word for 10,000 (as you’ll see in the next vocab word).
a 一万（いちまん）＝ 10,000
- Combo: 一 (one) + 万 (10,000)
- Meaning: Also means 10,000, though technically it’s “one ten-thousand.” Just think of it like multiplication. One times ten-thousand is still… ten thousand!
- Reading: The reading is just the on’yomi readings of the two kanji, put together.
a 二万（にまん）＝ 20,000
- Combo: 二 (two) + 万 (10,000)
- Meaning: Two ten thousands = 20,000
- Reading: The two on’yomi readings put together.
a 十万（じゅうまん）＝ 100,000
- Combo: 十 (ten) + 万 (10,000)
- Meaning: Don’t be confused, it’s just another way of seeing numbers, but it’s all the same. What’s ten ten-thousands? It’s 100,000.
- Reading: Just the two on’yomi readings of the kanji.