千
The Cantonese word for 'thousand' is 千.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting numbers, 千 is used as a base unit for thousands, similar to how 'thousand' is used in English.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word 千 is used in the term 千金, which literally means 'thousand pieces of gold' but is used as a polite way to refer to someone else's daughter.
- The number 'thousand' is a key building block in the Cantonese system of 'Myriad' counting, where the number 'ten thousand' 萬 acts as the primary pivot for all large-scale numbers.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the phrase 千古 is used to describe something that is 'eternal' or 'remembered for a thousand ages', typically referring to a great person's legacy.
Examples in context
- 兩千Two thousand
- 我哋要等一千個鐘。ngo5 dei6 jiu3 dang2 jat1 cin1 go3 zung1.We need to wait a thousand hours.
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Chi Keung are discussing the price of a gadget.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan呢個機要三千蚊。ni go gei jiu saam cin man.This device costs three thousand dollars.
- 志強 Chi Keung咁貴呀？gam gwai aa?Is it that expensive?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係，但係質量好好。hai, daan si zat loeng hou hou.Yes, but the quality is very good.
- 志強 Chi Keung好啦，我買啦。hou la, ngo maai la.Alright, I will buy it.
