千: the kanji for thousand
千 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means thousand. Below are its readings, 10 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
千 is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
千 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 10 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
セン (sen)
On reading. It becomes zen after 三 (san).
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 千せん · sen | one thousand |
| 千円せんえん · sen'en | 1,000 yen |
| 三千さんぜん · sanzen | three thousand |
| 一千万いっせんまん · issenman | ten million |
| 千年せんねん · sennen | a thousand years |
| 数千すうせん · sūsen | thousands |
| 千差万別せんさばんべつ · sensabanbetsu | infinite variety |
ち (chi)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 千葉ちば · Chiba | Chiba (a prefecture next to Tokyo) |
| 千代田区ちよだく · Chiyoda-ku | Chiyoda Ward (in Tokyo) |
| 千草ちぐさ · chigusa | all kinds of grasses |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- ランチは千円です。Ranchi wa sen-en desu.Lunch is 1,000 yen.
- このイベントに三千人が参加しました。Kono ibento ni sanzennin ga sanka shimashita.Three thousand people took part in this event.
- 毎日、千葉の工場に通っています。Mainichi, Chiba no kōjō ni kayotte imasu.I commute to the factory in Chiba every day.
- 会社は千代田区にあります。Kaisha wa Chiyoda-ku ni arimasu.The company is in Chiyoda Ward.
- 売り上げは一千万円を超えました。Uriage wa issenman-en o koemashita.Sales went over ten million yen.
- お客様のご要望は千差万別です。Okyakusama no goyōbō wa sensabanbetsu desu.Customers' requests vary widely.
Questions about 千
How many strokes does 千 have?
千 is written in 3 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 千?
The on readings are sen (セン). The kun readings are chi (ち).
Why is 三千 read sanzen?
After 三 (san), sen changes to zen, so 三千 is read sanzen. Most other numbers keep sen, as in 五千 (gosen, five thousand).
What JLPT level is 千?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Numbers and money
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 千
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.