次第数词 (序数).

[Guest Michael_RF]

What mean numerals of which "万亿" type [see specifically as follows in attached file 序数词.bmp (news from November 10, 2016): "46354亿", "39118亿", "6万亿"]?

 

Why not, let us say, "一兆"?

[WenLei-William]

This is because 兆 is too ambiguous. In some cases it means 1,000,000 and in other cases it means 10^(12) (One Million) depending on whether it's used in mainland China or not. In mainland China  兆  is now considered to mean 百万, while in Taiwan and other countries it means 10^(12). Since that graphic you posted is presumably from the mainland, using  兆 would be incorrect.

 

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/86275989.html (Here is an explanation I found online in Chinese)

 

http://tieba.baidu.com/p/1820526618 (You can see from this message board about all the confusion amd non-uniformity on what 兆 means, haha)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_10 (Even between the US and other English speaking countries there are different ways to express the various powers of 10)

[Guest Michael_RF]

Thanks! 有道理的想法.

 

"从前说一兆是一百万".

 

See also: 中文数字.