Japanese word

万が一

Pronunciation

Romajimangaichi

Meaning

  • adverbif by any chance

Example

万が一道に迷っても、電話してください。man ga ichi michi ni mayo tte mo den wa shi te ku da sa i

If by any chance you get lost, please call me.

Illustration for 万が一 (if by any chance)

More examples

万が一予約が取れなくても、近くの店を探します。man ga ichi yo yaku ga to re na ku te mo chika ku no mise o saga shi ma su

If by any chance we cannot get a reservation, we will look for a nearby restaurant.

Core concept

Marks a hypothetical situation as highly unlikely while treating its consequences as worth preparing for.

Common phrases

  • 万が一遅れてもman ga ichi oku re te mo

    if by any chance you are late

  • 万が一間に合わなかったらman ga ichi ma ni a wa na ka tta ra

    if by any chance you do not make it in time

Similar words

もしもmoshimo: Introduces a possible condition without stating how likely it is.
仮にkarini: Introduces an assumed condition for reasoning or discussion.
ひょっとしてhyottoshite: Suggests a small possibility, often when making a guess or asking a question.

Definition in Japanese

ほとんど起こりそうにない事態を仮定する意を表す語。ho to n do o ko ri sō ni na i ji tai o ka tei su ru i o arawa su go

Word origin

The expression 万が一 (mangaichi) combines 万 (man, "ten thousand"), が (ga, a linking particle), and 一 (ichi, "one"), evoking one case in ten thousand and thus an extremely unlikely possibility.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a general if-clause, 万が一 (mangaichi) signals that the speaker considers the situation very unlikely, often before advice about what to do if it occurs.

Word lists with this word