Meaning

Primary

Thousands

Alternatives

Several Thousands, How Many Thousands

Word Type

noun

Explanation

What thousand? Could be five thousand, two thousand, or ten thousand, since you're asking. Let's generalize. How do you say all of those amounts at the same time? You say "thousands."

If this is used in a question, it can also mean how many thousands?

Reading

なんぜん
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you'll know how to read this as well. Just take note that is read as ぜん and not せん because of rendaku.

Context

Pattern of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 何千台

    several thousand vehicles, several thousand machines

    何千人

    several thousand people

    何千回

    several thousand times

Context Sentences

何千回もエラーが出た。

We've got thousands of errors.

マミは人生で何千ものベーコンをたべてきた。

Mami has eaten thousands of bacon strips in her life.

この先、何千メートル行けばいいんだろう。

I wonder how many thousand meters more I should go.

何千円ですか?

How many thousand yen?

Kanji Composition