NumbersAbout 1 lakh
A lakh is the first unit that the Indian system has and the international system lacks. It is a hundred thousand. The word comes from the Sanskrit laksha. Yearly salaries, the prices of cars and motorcycles, and a year of college fees are commonly spoken of in lakhs.
1 lakh in other units
The same amount can be named in thousands, lakhs, millions, crores or billions. Divide by the size of the unit: a thousand has 3 zeros, a lakh 5, a million 6, a crore 7, a billion 9 and a trillion 12.
| Unit | 1 lakh is |
|---|---|
| Thousands | 100 |
| Lakhs | 1 |
| Millions | 0.1 |
| Crores | 0.01 |
| Billions | 0.0001 |
| Trillions | 0.0000001 |
Where the commas go
In the Indian system the first comma comes after three digits from the right and then after every two: 1,00,000. In the international system a comma comes after every three digits: 100,000. The digits are the same in both. The Indian form has 2 commas and the international form has 1.
Place value
1 lakh has 6 digits. Its leading digit, 1, is in the lakhs place in the Indian system, which the international system calls the hundred thousands place. Every place after it holds a zero.
How big is 1 lakh?
- In time. 1,00,000 seconds make 1 day, 3 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds. Counting aloud from 1 at one number a second, without a break, would take that long to reach 1 lakh.
- In minutes. 1,00,000 minutes are 69 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes.
- In money. 1,00,000 paise are ₹1,000. 1,00,000 one-rupee coins are, of course, ₹1,00,000, written on a cheque as "Rupees One Lakh Only".
- In length and weight. 1,00,000 metres are 100 km, and 1,00,000 grams are 100 kg.
Ten times more and ten times less
Ten times 1 lakh is 10,00,000 (10 lakh), which is 1 million. One tenth of it is 10,000 (10 thousand), which is 10 thousand. Each step adds or removes one zero.
Mistakes to avoid
- Count the zeros before you write: 1 lakh has 5. One zero too many makes it ten times larger.
- Do not mix the comma styles in one number. Write 1,00,000 or 100,000.
- In words, the unit stays singular after a number: "1 lakh", not "1 lakhs".
Common questions
How many zeros are there in 1 lakh?
1 lakh is written 1,00,000. It has 5 zeros and 6 digits in all.
What is 1 lakh in millions?
1 lakh is 100 thousand. In lakhs it is 1 lakh, in crores 0.01 crore and in millions 0.1 million.
How do you write 1 lakh in words?
In the Indian system: one lakh. In the international system: one hundred thousand. In Hindi: एक लाख.