<p>It does indeed mean 1001.</p>

<p>The key word here is <strong>據說</strong>, which means <em>according to legends/wisdom/tradition</em>, and thus 1001 is probably a local expression (whether Tibetan or their local variety of Chinese) for <em>a large amount</em> or <em>a wide variety</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-27T12:50:35.470Z
2018-05-27T12:50:35.470Z
dROOOze
<p>It just means "many", obviously it is from One Thousand and One Nights.</p>

<p>These numbers can be used as "many" in a literary context.</p>

<p>三,  一生二, 二生三 by 老子</p>

<p><strong>九, biggest single number</strong>, special in Chinese culture</p>

<p>十八: 2 * 9 = 18, a special number</p>

<p>三十六: 4 * 9 = 36</p>

<p>四十九, 7 * 7 = 49, a special number for Taoism</p>

<p>七十二: a special number for Taoism</p>

<p>八十一, 9 * 9,  a special number for Taoism</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-30T07:42:48.287Z
If you're listing the words for 'vaguely many', you should bring up 万.
lly
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-27T13:16:30.097Z
2018-05-27T13:27:42.960Z
2018-05-27T13:27:42.960Z
sfy
<p>As Jacob mentioned, it means “many”. Also, a thousand means a lot, one thousand and one implies there are even more ways ones may not have yet thought of (there is always another way that someone hasn’t thought of). </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-28T00:26:14.940Z
2018-05-28T01:47:25.740Z
2018-05-28T01:47:25.740Z
eddiecjc
<p>In the following sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>西藏人之所以能适应这样的环境，是因为他们从小父母就要用牛油（据说，这种东西可以<strong>有一千零一种用处</strong>）给他们擦身，并想方设法让他们接受烈日和狂风的锻炼。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The verb on the sentence should be 有, but I don't understand what it means after that.</p>
<p>I first thought that 零 here has a function of the following (according to Pleco):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[in expressions of time, age, money, weight, etc..., used between two different denomination]</p>
<ul>
<li><p>一年零三天</p>
</li>
<li><p>one year and three days</p>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>So it concatenates 一千 and 一, and turn to 1001.</p>
<p>But then the meaning would result in something like:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is said that these things can be used in 1001 different ways.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Or</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is said that you can use these things in 1001 ways.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But then I don't understand why it is 1001. It this kind of expressions frequently used in Chinese? Does 1001 have any special meaning in Chinese? Is it used to emphasize the degree of amount is very large?</p>
<p>Or does my grammatical understanding of 零 here correct in the first place?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-27T12:51:26.797Z
I think `1001 Uses` might be an English thing.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-27T16:19:06.180Z
一千零一 occurs in name of TV-drama 一千零一夜 (see web),
and 一千零一夜故事集 more commonly 舍赫拉查达 Scheherazade or
天方夜谭 tales of 1001 nights
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-28T02:21:41.187Z
If you know the expression of numbers in Chinese, you will know that 一千零一 just means 1001. Of course, we do not care whether 1001 here represents the exact number 1001 or not.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-30T02:35:23.147Z
We have the same expression in Portuguese.
Enrico Brasil
<grammar><meaning-in-context>
What does 有一千零一种用处 mean?
# What does 有一千零一种用处 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-27)

In the following sentence:

> 西藏人之所以能适应这样的环境，是因为他们从小父母就要用牛油（据说，这种东西可以**有一千零一种用处**）给他们擦身，并想方设法让他们接受烈日和狂风的锻炼。

The verb on the sentence should be 有, but I don't understand what it means after that.

I first thought that 零 here has a function of the following (according to Pleco):

> [in expressions of time, age, money, weight, etc..., used between two different denomination]
>
> * 一年零三天
> * one year and three days

So it concatenates 一千 and 一, and turn to 1001.

But then the meaning would result in something like:

> It is said that these things can be used in 1001 different ways.

Or

> It is said that you can use these things in 1001 ways.

But then I don't understand why it is 1001. It this kind of expressions frequently used in Chinese? Does 1001 have any special meaning in Chinese? Is it used to emphasize the degree of amount is very large?

Or does my grammatical understanding of 零 here correct in the first place?

**Tags:** grammar, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think `1001 Uses` might be an English thing.  
> **username_2**: 一千零一 occurs in name of TV-drama 一千零一夜 (see web), and 一千零一夜故事集 more commonly 舍赫拉查达 Scheherazade or 天方夜谭 tales of 1001 nights  
> **username_3**: If you know the expression of numbers in Chinese, you will know that 一千零一 just means 1001. Of course, we do not care whether 1001 here represents the exact number 1001 or not.  
> **username_4**: We have the same expression in Portuguese.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-05-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

It does indeed mean 1001.

The key word here is **據說**, which means *according to legends/wisdom/tradition*, and thus 1001 is probably a local expression (whether Tibetan or their local variety of Chinese) for *a large amount* or *a wide variety*.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2018-05-27. Score: 3

It just means "many", obviously it is from One Thousand and One Nights.

These numbers can be used as "many" in a literary context.

三, 一生二, 二生三 by 老子

**九, biggest single number**, special in Chinese culture

十八: 2 \* 9 = 18, a special number

三十六: 4 \* 9 = 36

四十九, 7 \* 7 = 49, a special number for Taoism

七十二: a special number for Taoism

八十一, 9 \* 9, a special number for Taoism

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: If you're listing the words for 'vaguely many', you should bring up 万.  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2018-05-28. Score: -1

As Jacob mentioned, it means “many”. Also, a thousand means a lot, one thousand and one implies there are even more ways ones may not have yet thought of (there is always another way that someone hasn’t thought of).


---

