How to Say "One Thousand" in Chinese

一千

yīqiān

The phrase one thousand in Chinese is 一千 (yīqiān).

一千 is used to express the number that is ten times one hundred.

What does it mean word for word?

The word consists of 一 (one) and 千 (thousand).

Unlike in English, where 'thousand' can be used as a noun, in Chinese, 一千 functions as a numeral that can directly precede a measure word or a noun.

yīqiān

When writing checks or legal documents, the complex character 仟 is used instead of 千. This 'financial' version prevents fraud because it is harder to alter than the simple three-stroke character.
The Chinese counting system shifts its primary grouping unit every four zeros. While English speakers group by thousands, Chinese uses 万 (ten thousand) as the base, making 一千 just a fraction of the main unit.
The character 千 is so foundational that it is often used in various idioms to represent a vast, uncountable multitude rather than a literal count of 1,000.

他至少有一千本書。
He has at least one thousand books.
This sentence is useful for seeing how to express a minimum quantity of books with 一千.
Tatoeba #883496 by Martha, translation #299607 by CK
我給了他們每個人一千日元。
I gave them one thousand yen each.
This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 一千 when discussing amounts of currency.
Tatoeba #879163 by Martha, translation #252453 by CK
如果一個病人折一千隻紙鶴, 她的願望就會成真。
If a sick person folds one thousand paper cranes, her wish will come true.
This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 一千 in the context of a traditional task involving paper cranes.
Tatoeba #772167 by Martha, translation #30628 by Zifre
他付了一千块钱。
He paid one thousand yuan.
我在考试中得了一千分。
I got one thousand points in the exam.
那件衣服要一千块。
That piece of clothing costs one thousand yuan.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two colleagues are discussing the budget for a small office party.

梓涵 Zihan

志强，這次聚餐預算是一千塊嗎？
Zhìqiáng, zhè cì jùcān yùsuàn shì yīqiān kuài ma?
Zhiqiang, is the budget for this party one thousand yuan?
志强 Zhiqiang

是的，梓涵，預算只有這麼多。
Shì de, Zǐhán, yùsuàn zhǐyǒu zhème duō.
Yes, Zihan, the budget is only this much.
梓涵 Zihan

那我得找便宜一點的餐廳。
Nà wǒ děi zhǎo piányi yīdiǎn de cāntīng.
Then I must look for a cheaper restaurant.
志强 Zhiqiang

沒問題，我也可以幫妳。
Méi wèntí, wǒ yě kěyǐ bāng nǐ.
No problem, I can help you too.

Sources

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