A person figure with an extra stroke marking the number one thousand. Thousand; a great many or countless. 十 (ten) with an extra top stroke (丿) added becomes 千.
In Chinese, 'thousand' as a standalone number must be preceded by '一' (one). Saying just '千' is incomplete and unnatural.
English speakers might try to combine 'thousand' and 'hundred' directly, but Chinese requires the specific number before each unit (e.g., 一千一百 for 1100).
千 (qiān) means 'thousand', while 干 (gān) means 'dry' or 'to do'.
These two characters look very similar but have completely different meanings and pronunciations. 千 has a small slanted stroke at the top, while 干 has a flat horizontal stroke. 千 is used for numbers, and 干 is used in words like 干净 (gānjìng, clean) or 干什么 (gàn shénme, what are you doing).
| Dimension | 千 | 干 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | thousand | dry; to do |
| Pinyin | qiān | gān / gàn |
| Example | 一千 (yī qiān, one thousand) | 干净 (gānjìng, clean) |
No, 千 must be preceded by a number (like 一, 两, 三) when used as a standalone quantity.
In Chinese, 千 is a bound numeral unit. It cannot stand alone as a word. You must say 一千 (one thousand), 两千 (two thousand), etc. However, in larger numbers like 一千五百 (1500), the 千 is part of the compound and does not need an extra number before it if the preceding number is already there.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone | 一千 (yī qiān) | 千 (qiān) |
| With larger number | 一千五百 (yī qiān wǔ bǎi) | 千五百 (qiān wǔ bǎi) |
This rhythmic poem helps you practice numbers from one to ten and larger units. Listen to the beat and count along!
千万亿 ，两点半。
七十五，八百三， 九千四 ，六万一。
This short story follows a simple shopping trip in Beijing. You will learn words for buying a phone in Chinese.
这个手机 六千多 块钱。
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
零百 千 万亿，可以医椅衣。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
苹果十九很贵， 八千七百多 块钱。
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!
