Qian

Qian is a Chinese pinyin transliteration that may refer to several different words or names. The most common are 钱 (qián, “money” or “coins”), 千 (qiān, “thousand”), and 乾 (qián), a character used in classical philosophy. Qian is also a Chinese surname, typically represented by 钱.

As a surname, 钱 (Qián) is one of the more widely distributed Chinese surnames and is borne by many people in China and among the global Chinese diaspora. Notable individuals with this surname include Qian Xuesen (钱学森), a pioneering aerospace engineer and rocket scientist, and Qian Zhongshu (钱钟书), a renowned writer and literary scholar.

As a numeral, 千 (qiān) means “thousand” and is used in counting, measurement, and common phrases such as 一千 (one thousand). It is pronounced qiān, which is distinct from qián.

In classical Chinese philosophy and the I Ching, Qian (乾) is one of the eight trigrams and represents Heaven and the Creative force; Hexagram 1, formed from this trigram, is traditionally called The Creative. The same character also appears in various regnal names, such as Qianlong (乾隆) of the Qing dynasty.

The pinyin spelling Qian therefore covers multiple characters and meanings, with pronunciation and sense varying by character. In everyday use, context typically clarifies whether Qian refers to money, a count, a surname, or a philosophical concept.