百
我有一百本书。
I have a hundred books.
The cardinal number 100.
一百元可以买到什么？
What can you buy with one hundred dollars?
这个项目需要一百个人来完成。
This project requires a hundred people to complete.
Used in counting, measurements, and expressions of quantity. Often combined with other characters to form larger numbers (e.g., 百万 'million').
A large number; many.
百年好合
a harmonious union for a hundred years (wedding blessing)
百折不挠
unyielding despite a hundred setbacks (persevering)
Common in idioms and traditional expressions to convey 'many' or 'endless'.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Counting vs. Expressions
Use '百' directly for numbers like 100, 200, etc. (一百, 两百). For expressions like 'many' or 'endless,' it appears in idioms (e.g., 百思不解 'endlessly puzzled').
Gold Rule
Avoid Redundancy
In modern Chinese, avoid saying '一百个' (a hundred) unless emphasizing the count. '一百' alone suffices in most contexts.
Word Origin
From Old Chinese *prak (百), referring to the number 100. The character depicts a hand (白) holding a unit (一), symbolizing a full count.
Usage Notes
In modern Chinese, '百' is rarely used alone in formal writing for numbers; it is typically part of larger numerals (e.g., 105 is 一百零五). In spoken language, it is common in expressions like '一百次' (a hundred times) or '百货商店' (department store).