千 means “thousand”

せん · sen

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ち

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

セン

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 1 · 3 strokes

The story

Fold one thousand paper cranes and your deepest wish comes true. So says the ancient legend of Senbazuru.

Appears in "Senbazuru" (千羽鶴, one thousand cranes), a symbol of hope and healing

Its parts

• 丿 Slash/sweep · Top
• 十 Ten · Bottom

A sweep (丿) over ten (十): thousand

Words with 千

• 千人 (せんにん, sennin): a thousand people

Kanji that look like 千

• 十 (ten): 十 is simpler: just a cross, while 千 has an extra stroke
• 干 (dry): 干 has an equal-length top stroke, 千 has a slanted stroke

More from Ancient Counting

• 万 ten thousand
• 半 half
• 零 zero
• 数 number
• 一番 first
• 年 year
• 分 minute
• 多 many
• 一 one
• 二 two
• 三 three
• 四 four

Learn 千 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.