九

See also: 玖, 丸, and 力

九	U+4E5D, 九 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E5D

← 乜
[U+4E5C]

CJK Unified Ideographs

乞 →
[U+4E5E]

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

九

Translingual[edit]

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character[edit]

九 (radical 5, 乙+1, 2 strokes, cangjie input 大弓 (KN), four-corner 4001₇, composition ⿻丿㇈)

Derived characters[edit]

仇, 㕤, 扏, 氿, 肍, 朹, 犰, 䊵(𮉠), 訅, 䜪, 軌(轨), 㐜, 釚(𫟲), 骩, 鼽, 旭, 訄, 䧱, 虓, 頄(𬱓), 馗, 㐡, 㐤, 鳩(鸠), 勼, 宄, 尻, 旯, 㶢, 艽, 究, 㭝, 㐇, 卆, 厹, 叴, 旮, 䲥, 㔲

Descendants[edit]

𛀭

References[edit]

KangXi: page 83, character 19
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 167
Dae Jaweon: page 168, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 48, character 5
Unihan data for U+4E5D

Chinese[edit]

simp. and trad.		九
variant forms		玖 financial 𠔀𢌬𣲄

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 九

Shang

Western Zhou

Warring States

Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)

Liushutong (compiled in Ming)

Oracle bone script

Bronze inscriptions

Chu Slip and silk script

Small seal script

Transcribed ancient scripts

**Oracle bone script**
j29822	j29823	j29824	j29825	j29826	j29827	j29828	j29829
j29830	j29831	j29832	j29833	j29834	j29835	j29836	j29837
j29838	j29839	j29840	j29841	j29842	j29843	j29844	j29845
j29846	j29847	j29848	j29849	j29850	j29851

**Bronze inscriptions**
b19923	b19924	b19925	b19926	b19927	b19928	b19929	b19930
b19931	b19932	b19933	b19934	b19935	b19936	b19937	b19938
b19939	b19940	b19941	b19942	b19943	b19944	b19945	b19946
b19947	b19948	b19949	b19950	b19951	b19952	b19953	b19954
b19955	b19956	b19957

**Small seal script**
s10923

**Transcribed ancient scripts**
L35389	L35390	L35391	L35392	L35393	L18222	L18223	L18224
L18225	L18226	L18227	L18228	L18229	L18230	L18231	L18232

References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (九) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
尻	*kʰuː
訄	kʰuː, kʰu, *ɡu
艽	krɯːw, qʰrɯːw, ɡu, ɡʷrɯw
虓	*qʰruː
鳩	*ku
勼	*ku
九	*kuʔ
究	*kus
仇	*ɡu
鼽	*ɡu
犰	*ɡu
叴	*ɡu
厹	*ɡu
頄	ɡu, ɡʷrɯw
朹	ɡu, kʷrɯwʔ
馗	ɡu, ɡʷrɯw
扏	*ɡu
訅	*ɡu
釚	*ɡu
肍	*ɡu
軌	*kʷrɯwʔ
宄	*kʷrɯwʔ
氿	*kʷrɯwʔ
匭	*kʷrɯwʔ
泦	*kuɡ
旭	*qʰʷoɡ

Pictogram (象形) – a stylized hand, with bent wrist/forearm (hence the hook stroke at lower right). Earlier forms resemble 手, 寸. The original meaning of the glyph was “elbow”, which is now written 肘 (OC *tkuʔ).

After the meaning “elbow” was forgotten, 九 was taken to symbolize a fist tightening to bump up against something; thus, there is a metaphorical bumping up of nine against ten, which is the last number when counting on one's fingers.

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d/s-kəw. Compare Tibetan དགུ (dgu).

Pronunciation[edit]

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jiǔ (jiu³)

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄡˇ

(Chengdu, SP): jiu³

(Dungan, Cyrillic): җю (ži͡u, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): gau²

(Taishan, Wiktionary): giu²
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kiú
Min Dong (BUC): gāu / giū
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): káu / kiú

(Teochew, Peng'im): gao² / giu²
Wu (Wiktionary): jieu (T2)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: jiǔ
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄡˇ
  - Wade–Giles: chiu³
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jeou
  - IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: jiu³
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: giu
  - IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiəu⁵³/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic: җю (ži͡u, II)
  - IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiou⁵¹/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: gau²
  - Yale: gáu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gau²
  - Guangdong Romanization: geo²
  - IPA ^(key): /kɐu̯³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: giu²
  - IPA ^(key): /kiu⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiú
  - Hakka Romanization System: giu`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: giu³
  - IPA: /ki̯u³¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gāu / giū
  - IPA ^(key): /kau³³/, /kieu³³/

Note:

gāu - vernacular;
giū - literary.

Min Nan

(Hokkien)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: káu / kiú
- Tâi-lô: káu / kiú
- Phofsit Daibuun: kao, kiuo
- IPA (Xiamen): /kaʊ⁵³/, /kiu⁵³/
- IPA (Quanzhou): /kaʊ⁵⁵⁴/, /kiu⁵⁵⁴/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /kaʊ⁵³/, /kiu⁵³/
- IPA (Taipei): /kaʊ⁵³/, /kiu⁵³/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /kaʊ⁴¹/, /kiu⁴¹/

Note:

káu - vernacular;
kiú - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: gao² / giu²
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: káu / kiú
- IPA ^(key): /kau⁵²/, /kiu⁵²/

Note:

gao2 - vernacular;
giu2 - literary.

Wu

(Shanghainese)
- Wiktionary: jieu (T2)
- IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiɜ³⁴/

Middle Chinese: /kɨu^X/▼

Rime
Character	九
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	舉有切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɨu^X/
Pan Wuyun	/kiu^X/
Shao Rongfen	/kiəu^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kuw^X/
Li Rong	/kiu^X/
Wang Li	/kĭəu^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/ki̯ə̯u^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiǔ

Old Chinese▼
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]uʔ/

(Zhengzhang): /*kuʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	九
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ kjuw^X ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]uʔ/
English	nine
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	九
Reading #	1/1
No.	6941
Phonetic component	九
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	久
Old Chinese	/*kuʔ/

Definitions[edit]

九

nine
(figuratively) many
(weather) each of the nine nine-day periods from the winter solstice

Compounds[edit]

Derived terms from 九

Descendants[edit]

Sino-Xenic (九):

→ Japanese: 九 (く) (ku); 九 (きゅう) (kyū)
→ Korean: 구 (九, gu)
→ Vietnamese: cửu (九)

Others:

→ Tai: *kɤwᶜ (“nine”)
- Northern Tai:
  - Saek: กู̂
  - Zhuang: gouj
- Wenma-Southwestern Tai:
  - Sapa-Southwestern Tai:
    - Southwestern Tai:
      - Ahom: 𑜀𑜧 (kaw)
      - Lao: ເກົ້າ (kao)
      - Lü: ᦂᧁᧉ (k̇aw²)
      - Northern Thai: ᨠᩮᩢ᩶ᩣ
      - Tai Dam: ꪹꪀ꫁ꪱ (cảu)
      - Shan: ၵဝ်ႈ (kāw)
      - Thai: เก้า (gâao)

Japanese[edit]

**Japanese cardinal numbers**
< 8	9	10 >
Cardinal : 九

Kanji[edit]

Readings[edit]

Go-on: く (ku, Jōyō)
Kan-on: きゅう (kyū, Jōyō)^{←きう (kiu, historical)}
Kun: ここの (kokono, 九, Jōyō); ここのつ (kokonotsu, 九つ, Jōyō)
Nanori: いちじく (ichijiku); いちのく (ichinoku); この (kono); ひさし (hisashi)

Compounds[edit]

Compounds

九 (きゅう)夏 (か) (kyūka)
九 (きゅう)官 (かん)鳥 (ちょう) (kyūkanchō, “a mina or mynah bird”)
九 (きゅう)牛 (ぎゅう)一 (いち)毛 (もう) (kyū gyū ichi mō, “nine cows one hair (a drop in the ocean)”)
九 (く)九 (く) (kuku), 九 (く)々 (く) (kuku, “Multiplication table”)
九 (く)月 (がつ) (kugatsu, “September”)
九 (きゅう)死 (し) (kyūshi, “near death, nearly dead, a close shave”)
九 (きゅう)州 (しゅう) (Kyūshū, “Kyushu”)
九 (ここの)重 (え) (kokonoe)
九 (く)寸 (すん)五 (ご)分 (ぶ) (kusun gobu, “a short sword, a dagger”)
九 (きゅう)星 (せい) (kyūsei)
九 (きゅう)折 (せつ) (kyūsetsu)
九 (きゅう)泉 (せん) (kyūsen, “the nether world”)
九 (きゅう)地 (ち) (kyūchi)
九 (きゅう)天 (てん) (Kyūten, “Ninth Heaven (the highest of heavens)”)
九 (きゅう)拝 (はい) (kyūhai)
九 (く)分 (ぶ) (kubu)
九 (く)輪 (りん) (kurin)
九 (くん)六 (ろく) (kunroku)

Etymology 1[edit]

From Early Middle Chinese. Goon, the initial reading when first borrowed into Japanese.

Pronunciation[edit]

On’yomi: Goon
- IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ᵝ]

Alternative forms[edit]

玖

Number[edit]

九 (hiragana く, rōmaji ku)

nine
ninth

Noun[edit]

九 (hiragana く, rōmaji ku)

nine
the ninth

Coordinate terms[edit]

Numbers in Japanese
0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
零 (れい) (rei) ゼロ (zero)	一 (いち) (ichi)	二 (に) (ni)	三 (さん) (san)	四 (よん) (yon) 四 (し) (shi)	五 (ご) (go)	六 (ろく) (roku)	七 (なな) (nana) 七 (しち) (shichi)	八 (はち) (hachi)	九 (きゅう) (kyū) 九 (く) (ku)
10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
十 (じゅう) (jū)	十 (じゅう)一 (いち) (jūichi)	十 (じゅう)二 (に) (jūni)	十 (じゅう)三 (さん) (jūsan)	十 (じゅう)四 (よん) (jūyon) 十 (じゅう)四 (し) (jūshi)	十 (じゅう)五 (ご) (jūgo)	十 (じゅう)六 (ろく) (jūroku)	十 (じゅう)七 (なな) (jūnana) 十 (じゅう)七 (しち) (jūshichi)	十 (じゅう)八 (はち) (jūhachi)	十 (じゅう)九 (きゅう) (jūkyū) 十 (じゅう)九 (く) (jūku)

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle Chinese. Kan'on, a later reading. Borrowed after palatalisation occurred in Middle Chinese.

Pronunciation[edit]

On’yomi: Kan’on
- IPA^(key): [kʲɨᵝː]
Audio
(file)

Number[edit]

九 (hiragana きゅう, rōmaji kyū, historical hiragana きう)

nine

Noun[edit]

九 (hiragana きゅう, rōmaji kyū, historical hiragana きう)

nine
an indeterminate large number, a myriad, a great many
(divination) the number of yang, in opposition to 六 (roku, “six”) as the number of yin

Alternative forms[edit]

(large number): 究

Etymology 3[edit]

From Old Japanese.

Pronunciation[edit]

Kun’yomi
- IPA^(key): [ko̞ko̞no̞]

Number[edit]

九 (hiragana ここの, rōmaji kokono)

nine

Etymology 4[edit]

/kokono/ → /kono/

Abbreviation of Old Japanese kokono (“nine”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Kun’yomi
- IPA^(key): [ko̞no̞]

Number[edit]

九 (hiragana この, rōmaji kono)

nine
ひい、ふう、みい、…なな、やあ、この、とお
hī, fū, mī, …nana, yā, kono, tō
one, two, three, ... seven, eight, nine, ten

Alternative forms[edit]

この

Usage notes[edit]

Generally only used when counting out loud, as in the example above. In writing, usually found spelled out in hiragana as この to make the reading unambiguous.

References[edit]

The Japan Times (March 17, 2010). You can count on the tales behind number-kanji. Accessed March 23, 2010.

Korean[edit]

Hanja[edit]

九 (eumhun 아홉 구 (ahop gu))

Hanja form^? of 구 (“nine”).

Compounds[edit]

Vietnamese[edit]

Han character[edit]

九: Hán Việt readings: cửu^[1]^[2]
九: Nôm readings: cửu^[1]^[3]^[4]

Hán tự form of cửu (“nine”).

References[edit]

[tdcntd-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).

[gdhn-2] Trần (2004).

[bonet-3] Bonet (1899).

[genibrel-4] Génibrel (1898).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Chinese numbers
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	10²	10³	10⁴	10⁸	10¹²
Normal (小寫／小写)	〇	一	二	三	四	五	六	七	八	九	十	百	千	萬／万	億／亿	兆 (Taiwan) 萬億／万亿 (Mainland China)
Financial (大寫／大写)	零	壹	貳／贰	參／叁	肆	伍	陸／陆	柒	捌	玖	拾	佰	仟	萬／万	億／亿	兆 (Taiwan) 萬億／万亿 (Mainland China)

九

Contents

Translingual[edit]

Han character[edit]

Derived characters[edit]

Descendants[edit]

References[edit]

Chinese[edit]

Glyph origin[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Definitions[edit]

See also[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Japanese[edit]

Kanji[edit]

Readings[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Number[edit]

Noun[edit]

Coordinate terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Number[edit]

Noun[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Number[edit]

Etymology 4[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Number[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Usage notes[edit]

References[edit]

Korean[edit]

Hanja[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Vietnamese[edit]

Han character[edit]

References[edit]

Navigation menu

Search