せん

thousand

JLPT N5

Character Breakdown

Basic Meaning

The character (qiān) means "thousand" and is used to count or quantify amounts in the thousands. It is a common numeral in everyday Chinese, especially when discussing quantities, prices, or large numbers.

Usage in Numbers

is often combined with other numbers to form multiples of a thousand, such as (one thousand), (five thousand), or (two thousand). It can also appear with approximate expressions like (over a thousand) or (several thousand).

Common Collocations

  • (one thousand units) — used to count people or objects.
  • (five thousand yuan) — used in prices or money.
  • (over a thousand emails) — used to express large quantities.

Nuances and Tips

is a straightforward numeral without special tone or register. When used with measure words, it follows the standard Chinese number + measure word pattern. Avoid confusing with (ten thousand), which represents a larger quantity. is always used for exact or approximate counts in the thousands range.

Common Confusion

Sometimes learners confuse with its homophone (qiān), which means "modest." Pay attention to context and characters to avoid this mistake.

Example Sentences

There are one thousand people here.

This car costs five thousand yuan.

He has to handle over a thousand emails every day.

This factory can produce two thousand products a day.

He spent several thousand yuan to buy this computer.