천
cheon[t͡ɕʰɘ(ː)n]
The English phrase "one thousand" is 천 (cheon) in Korean.
The word for one thousand is 천.
Which one should you use?
While 천 is the standard way to say one thousand, the form 일천 is used in formal contexts like banking or accounting to prevent ambiguity.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Korean, the number one thousand is expressed by the single syllable 천 without needing a separate word for 'one'.
Did you know?
- In addition to being a number, 천 is also the word for 'river' or 'stream'. This means a single syllable can describe a quantity, the sky or a body of water.
- In the Korean language, numbers like 천 are grouped by ten thousands rather than thousands. This means that while you say 'one thousand', the larger linguistic focus is on 만 or ten thousand.
- Korean uses two different number systems, and 천 belongs to the Sino-Korean system. This system is used for dates, money and phone numbers, unlike the native system used for counting items.
Examples in context
- 이 상품의 가격은 일천 원입니다.The price of this product is one thousand won.
- 제가 일천 원을 내도 될까요?Can I pay one thousand won?
- 천 원만 주세요.cheon won-man ju-se-yo.Please give me one thousand won.
- 이 책은 천 원이에요.i chaek-eun cheon won-i-e-yo.This book is one thousand won.
- 천 년 전의 이야기예요.cheon nyeon jeon-ui i-ya-gi-ye-yo.It is a story from a thousand years ago.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Hyeon-u are at a small snack shop.
- 지은 Ji-eun이 떡볶이 얼마예요?i tteok-bok-ki eol-ma-ye-yo?How much is this tteokbokki?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo천 원이에요.cheon won-i-e-yo.It is one thousand won.
- 지은 Ji-eun현우 씨, 여기 천 원 있어요.Hyeon-u ssi, yeo-gi cheon won iss-eo-yo.Hyeon-u, here is one thousand won.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo고마워요, 지은 씨.go-ma-wo-yo, Ji-eun ssi.Thank you, Ji-eun.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 천, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
