九
九 represents the number nine. Its curved shape is sometimes compared to a bent elbow or hook, and it is the last single-digit number before ten.
Reading
On’yomi: キュウ (kyuu), ク (ku)
Kun’yomi: ここの-つ (kokono-tsu)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 九 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | nine |
| Stroke Count | 2 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
How to Understand This Kanji
九 has two on’yomi readings: キュウ (most common in compounds) and ク (seen in 九月 and 九時). The native Japanese counting word ここのつ is used for general counting up to ten.
Common Words
- 九つ（ここのつ / kokonotsu） — nine (general counting)
- 九月（くがつ / kugatsu） — September
- 九時（くじ / kuji） — nine o’clock
- 九十（きゅうじゅう / kyūjū） — ninety
- 九人（きゅうにん / kyūnin） — nine people
- 十九（じゅうく / jūku） — nineteen
Example Sentences
-
今、九時です。
いま、くじです。 / Ima, kuji desu.
It is nine o’clock now.
-
九月は涼しくなります。
くがつはすずしくなります。 / Kugatsu wa suzushiku narimasu.
It gets cool in September.
-
九人でパーティーをしました。
きゅうにんでパーティーをしました。 / Kyūnin de pātī o shimashita.
We had a party with nine people.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Nine has a cultural note: the reading ク sounds like 苦 (suffering), so it is considered an unlucky number in some contexts — similar to how 四 (four) sounds like 死 (death). Both are sometimes avoided in formal numbering.
Summary
九 means ‘nine’ and appears in numbers, dates, and time expressions. Note its two on’yomi readings: キュウ and ク.