[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Abstract-Concepts \ #Quantity # 百 bǎi one hundred ## Components [[一 (yī)]] [[一 yī]] [[白 (bái)]] [[白 bái]] [[白 (bái)]] ## Meaning Today, the character "百" primarily signifies a large quantity or multitude. It is often used idiomatically to express abundance or a significant number of something. For instance, "百姓" refers to the common people or the masses, and "百货" refers to a wide variety of goods. Additionally, it retains its numerical meaning, representing the number one hundred in various contexts. ## History "百" originally referred to a numerical value, specifically "ten groups of ten," which equals one hundred. It is a pictographic character. In oracle bone script, "百" consisted of a horizontal stroke above the character "自." The horizontal stroke served as a symbolic representation and helped differentiate it from the character "白" (white). Over time, "百" extended its meaning to signify a large number or multitude, as seen in phrases like "百战不殆" (never failing in battle) where "百" doesn't represent a precise count but rather indicates a multitude or many. Similarly, in the term "百姓" (the common people), it refers to the general populace. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[百oracular.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[百bronze.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[百seal.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[百cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[百reg.svg]]