How to Write 千 (qiān) — Meaning “thousand”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 千?

Imagine a slanted arrow (丿) pointing at a cross target (十), representing a thousand hits. The three strokes also remind you that 1000 has three zeros.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing the character 千?

The first stroke is a left-falling stroke (丿), not a horizontal line. Make sure the vertical stroke crosses the horizontal exactly at the center, and the top stroke is shorter than the horizontal.

Q: How do I tell 千 apart from similar characters like 十 and 卄?

十 (ten) has only two strokes forming a cross, while 千 has three strokes with a slanted top. 卄 (twenty) is a rare character that looks like two vertical lines crossing a horizontal, not a slanted stroke.

Q: When and how is 千 used in modern Chinese?

千 is used for the number 1000, as in 一千 (one thousand). It also appears in common words like 千万 (must, or ten million) and 秋千 (a swing). Culturally, it appears in idioms meaning ‘many,’ such as 千山万水 (thousands of mountains and rivers).

Q: What common words use 千?

Common words containing 千 include: 一千 (yī qiān) — one thousand; 千万 (qiān wàn) — by all means; must; ten million; 秋千 (qiū qiān) — Swing..

qiān HSK Level 2 3 strokes Radical: 十

千 (qiān) means "thousand" in Chinese. It has 3 strokes with the radical 十, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 1.7/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 3% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 一千 (yī qiān), 千万 (qiān wàn), 秋千 (qiū qiān).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 千 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Practice Writing 千 (qiān)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 千 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 千

The character 千 (qiān) is written with 3 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 十 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does qiān (千) Mean in Chinese?

千 means thousand.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 千 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character	千
Pinyin	qiān (qian)
Meaning	thousand
Strokes	3
Radical	十
HSK Level	2
Difficulty	1.7/5

Origin of 千

The character 千 combines the radical 十 (ten) with an extra horizontal stroke, representing ten times one hundred, meaning a thousand. In ancient oracle bone script, it depicted a person (人) with a horizontal line, symbolizing a large number.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a '10' (十) with a giant horizontal bar stretching across it, like a thousand-mile-long road.

Common Words with 千

一千 yī qiān

one thousand

千万 qiān wàn

by all means; must; ten million

秋千 qiū qiān

Swing.

Example Sentences

这本书一千块钱。

zhè běn shū yī qiān kuài qián

This book costs one thousand yuan.

千万要注意安全。

qiān wàn yào zhù yì ān quán

You must be careful about safety.

妹妹在玩秋千。

mèi mèi zài wán qiū qiān

My younger sister is playing on the swing.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
千 (current)	qiān	3	十
十	shí	2	十
卄	niàn	3	十
卅	sà	4	十

Practice Writing 千 (qiān)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 千 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 千

How is the character 千 structured, and how does that relate to its meaning?

千 is made of the radical 十 (ten) with a slanted stroke (丿) on top. This structure suggests 'ten hundreds,' since a thousand is ten times one hundred.

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 千?

What should I watch out for when writing the character 千?

How do I tell 千 apart from similar characters like 十 and 卄?

When and how is 千 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 千?

How to Write 千 (qiān) — Meaning “thousand”

Practice Writing 千 (qiān)

How to Write 千

What Does qiān (千) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 千

Common Words with 千

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 千 (qiān)

Frequently Asked Questions about 千

More HSK Level 2 Characters

Characters with Radical 十

Other 3-Stroke Characters