千
qiān
thousand; many; very
Meaning
- Literal numeric value of 1,000; standard in administrative, legal, or inventory contexts.
- Indefinite quantity: "many," "numerous," or "innumerable." In literary and philosophical texts, it often functions as a generic marker of a large number rather than a specific integer.
- Qualitative intensifier: Used adverbially to mean "very," "extremely," or "utterly."
- Temporal/spatial extension: When modifying units of time or distance (e.g., years, leagues), it typically denotes eternity, vastness, or an unreachable horizon.
Grammar and usage
- Pairing with 万 (ten thousand): In the compound 千万, this is frequently a formulaic expression meaning "countless" or "myriad," or—depending on mood—an emphatic "by all means" or "absolutely."
- Semantic trajectory: The glyph often shifts from //Number// → //Quantity// → //Quality//. If a literal count is syntactically awkward, test for an indefinite quantity ("many") or an intensifier ("very").
History and forms
- Variants include U+4EDF, U+5343, and U+97C6. These are paleographic distinctions that do not alter the lexical range or grammatical function of the symbol.
Graphical notes
- The glyph is a derivative of 十 (ten).
Translator notes
- Dialectal meanings found in some dictionaries (e.g., "cheater" or "swindler") are anachronistic to classical texts and should be ignored.
Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.