万一

萬一

wànyī

conjunction/adverb HSK 4 #2,484

Meanings

Literally 'ten thousand to one' — an extremely small chance

带把伞吧，万一下雨呢。

Dài bǎ sǎn ba, wànyī xiàyǔ ne.

Bring an umbrella, just in case it rains.

万一他不来怎么办？

Wànyī tā bù lái zěnmebàn?

What if he doesn't come?

你应该多带些钱，万一需要的话。

Nǐ yīnggāi duō dài xiē qián, wànyī xūyào dehuà.

You should bring extra money, just in case you need it.

usage

万一 introduces an unlikely but possible scenario. It is often followed by 怎么办 (what to do) or rounded off at the end with 呢.

memory

Think of 万一 as 'one in ten thousand chance' — unlikely, but worth preparing for.

万 wàn

一 yī