千 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
千 simply means "thousand" (1,000). It's a counting workhorse you'll use constantly — for prices (千円, "1,000 yen"), for years (千年, "a thousand years"), and as a building block in bigger numbers (三千 = 3,000, 八千 = 8,000). Almost every time you see 千, it's doing exactly one job: marking the thousands place. That makes it one of the most predictable kanji you'll learn, with very little hidden meaning to memorize.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | セン | 千 (thousand), 千円 (1,000 yen), 千年 (a thousand years) |
| kun'yomi | ち | 千葉 (ちば, Chiba — a place name) |
The headline reading is the on'yomi セン — it covers the number itself and almost every counting situation. The kun'yomi ち is rare and shows up chiefly in proper nouns, the famous example being 千葉 (Chiba), the prefecture next to Tokyo.
There's one sound change worth flagging right away. When 千 follows 三 (three), the セン softens to a voiced ゼン: 三千 is read さんぜん (3,000), not "sansen." This is a common, expected shift — just lock in 三千 = さんぜん and you'll be fine. (By contrast, 八千 stays crisp as はっせん.)
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 3, written top to bottom — first the short slanting top stroke, then the long horizontal stroke, and finally the vertical stroke that curves down through it.
- Radical: 千 is classified under the 十 ("ten") radical — fitting, since both are number kanji. You can think of 千 as 十 ("ten") wearing a little hat (a slanted stroke on top).
Watch out for three look-alikes that differ by just a stroke or two: 千 (thousand), 干 (to dry), and 午 (noon, as in 午前 "a.m."). The key difference is the top: 千 has a short slanted stroke on top, 干 has a flat horizontal one, and 午 adds an extra short stroke. Compare them side by side once and the small differences will stick.
Common words using 千
Notice the pattern: 千 is セン almost everywhere (千円, 千年, 八千) — except for the voiced ゼン in 三千 (さんぜん), and the kun'yomi ち that surfaces only in the name 千葉 (ちば).
Example sentences
ヤッタンは千円のおもちゃを買いました。
ヤッタンは せんえんの おもちゃを かいました。
Yattan bought a 1,000-yen toy.
千円 — the on'yomi セン reading, the everyday one for prices.
モチは三千円持っています。
モチは さんぜんえん もっています。
Mochi has 3,000 yen.
Sound change in action: 三千 is さんぜん (voiced ゼん), not 'sansen'.
先生は千葉に住んでいます。
せんせいは ちばに すんでいます。
Sensei lives in Chiba.
千葉 uses the kun'yomi ち — a reading you'll mostly meet in names.
Quick recap
- 千 = thousand (1,000); just 3 strokes; filed under the 十 ("ten") radical.
- セン is the main reading (千円, 千年, 八千); ち appears mainly in names like 千葉.
- Watch the sound change: 三千 = さんぜん (voiced), while 八千 = はっせん.
- Don't mix up 千 (thousand) with 干 (dry) or 午 (noon) — check the top stroke.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 千 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 千 by itself and in 千円?
Both use the on'yomi セン: 千 alone is せん ('a thousand'), and 千円 is せんえん ('1,000 yen'). セン is the reading you'll use for almost all counting.
Why is 三千 read さんぜん instead of さんせん?
It's a regular sound change: after 三 (three), the セン of 千 becomes voiced ゼン. So 三千 = さんぜん (3,000). Just memorize this one — 八千, by contrast, stays はっせん.
When is 千 read ち?
The kun'yomi ち is uncommon and shows up mainly in proper nouns, most famously 千葉 (ちば), the prefecture next to Tokyo. For numbers, you'll almost always use セン.
How do I tell 千 apart from 干 and 午?
Look at the top stroke. 千 (thousand) has a short slanted stroke on top, 干 (to dry) has a flat horizontal one, and 午 (noon) has an extra short stroke. They look alike but mean very different things.