“不怕一万，就怕万一(bu2 pa4 yi2 wan4 jiu4 pa4 wan4 yi1)” is
one of the most common saying applied in Chinese people’s daily communication. In
this online Chinese course, let us have a close analysis of this
saying to figure out its real meaning and correct usage.
“一万(yi2 wan4)” literally means ten thousand
and “万一(wan4 yi1)” refers to “in case of”. They
contain the same characters only with the contrary word order, but the meanings
of them are quite different.
If you
have attended many Chinese courses, you may have a basic understanding of
such a Chinese saying. Actually, there are some connotations under the saying. “一万” here refers to that there is ten thousand
of the rate for something to happen. “万一” means that there is only one
ten-thousandth the rate to do something. So what is the exact meaning of the sentence?
Do not
worry. Let me explain it. What we are worried about is not the ten thousand
times but the only time of mistake or carelessness. As soon as some mistakes
are made, even a minor one, what we have done before will be in vain. So it
reminds us that we should take precaution anytime and anywhere in case of something
unexpected. Especially for those small probability events, we need to pay high
attention of them.
For
example, Tom is going to attend the Chinese language class in the morning. His mother said, “带上伞，不怕一万就怕万一(dai4 shang4 san3 bu2 pa4 yi2 wan4 jiu4 pa4
wan4 yi1).” Her word means “Take your umbrella in case that it is going to
rain.”
Learning
the Chinese old sayings is one of the important parts during your Chinese language learning. It will be helpful in your daily communication.
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