KaiwaGo千 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
千 means “thousand”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: セン (sen). Kun’yomi: ち (chi).
How to write 千 (stroke order)
Write 千 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 千
Trace 千 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 千
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | セン (sen) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | ち (chi) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 千 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 千
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 千 | せん sen | one thousand | |
| 三千 | さんぜん sanzen | three thousand |
千 (sen) means “one thousand”.
三千 (sanzen) means “three thousand”. Also in this word: 三
FAQ
What does 千 mean in Japanese?
千 means “thousand”. Common words with it are 千 (sen, “one thousand”) and 三千 (sanzen, “three thousand”).
How many strokes does 千 have?
千 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 千?
The on’yomi is セン (sen) and the kun’yomi is ち (chi). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 千 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 千 is kanji number 12 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.