千
qiān · HSK 2
thousand
千 = ten (十) stretched with a stroke on top; tally mark for one thousand
Originally a person 人 over 一 (one), used as a counting tally for 1000. Modern shape resembles 十 (ten) with an extra slash on top — ten tens scaled up to a thousand.
千 — person 人 with horizontal stroke
Originally derived from the character 人 (person) with an added horizontal stroke, used as a numerical marker meaning 'thousand.' Some scholars link the stroke to a tally mark indicating a large count. Over time it became the standard numeral for 1000.