Definition

1. Numeral:
   • Billion (1,000,000,000): The primary meaning of "tỉ" is the cardinal number one billion (10^9). It is used in the modern, internationally accepted short scale numbering system.
   • Milliard (archaic): In older or specific historical contexts, particularly influenced by French, "tỉ" can mean one thousand million, equivalent to the term "milliard."

Usage Examples

• Numeral:
  • Việt Nam có dân số hơn 100 tỉ người. (Vietnam has a population of over 100 billion people.)
  • Dự án cần đầu tư ba tỉ đồng. (The project requires an investment of three billion dong.)
  • Theo tài liệu cũ, một tỉ còn được gọi là một "milliard". (According to old documents, one "tỉ" was also called one "milliard.")

Advanced Usage

• "Tỉ lệ": ratio, proportion, rate. This is a separate, common compound noun.

  • Tỉ lệ thất nghiệp đang giảm. (The unemployment rate is decreasing.)

• "Tỉ số": score (in sports), ratio.

  • Tỉ số trận đấu là 2-1. (The match score is 2-1.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tỷ: This is an alternative, equally correct spelling for "tỉ."
• Tỉ phú (n): billionaire.
  • Ông ấy là một tỉ phú công nghệ. (He is a technology billionaire.)
• Tỉ đô (n): billion dollars.
  • Công ty đạt doanh thu tỉ đô. (The company achieved billion-dollar revenue.)

Synonyms

• Billion: the number equivalent to one thousand million (10^9).
• Milliard: a term for one thousand million, now largely archaic in English but historically relevant for translation.

Notes on Usage

• In modern Vietnamese, "tỉ" (or "tỷ") exclusively means 1,000,000,000 (10^9). The older meaning of "milliard" is important for understanding historical texts or specific translations but is not used in contemporary everyday language.
• It is a numeral and is often used in contexts of finance, population, statistics, and large quantities.
• Do not confuse the standalone numeral "tỉ" with compound words that begin with "tỉ" such as "tỉ lệ" (rate) or "tỉ mỉ" (meticulous), which have distinct meanings.