十有八九

Pronunciation: shí yǒu bā jiǔ Literal meaning: Ten has eight nine

Origin & Usage

Song Dynasty scholars, debating the nature of probability, gave us this precise way of expressing likelihood - that out of ten cases (十), eight or nine (八九) will occur as expected. The phrase offered a mathematical precision between absolute certainty and mere possibility. Ming Dynasty merchants adopted it for practical probability assessments. Modern usage spans from weather forecasting to business planning, offering a specific confidence level rather than vague assurance.

Examples

English: "The meteorologist predicted that rain was very likely for the weekend festival"

Chinese: 气象学家预测周末节日很可能下雨