Japanese word

九

Pronunciation

Romajikyū

Meaning

  • numbernine

Example

答えは九です。kota e wa kyū de su

The answer is nine.

Illustration for 九 (nine)

More examples

箱にりんごが九個あります。bako ni ri n go ga kyū ko a ri ma su

There are nine apples in the box.

妹は九歳です。imōto wa kyū sai de su

My younger sister is nine years old.

Core concept

Represents a set or position of nine within a sequence of counted numbers.

Common phrases

  • 九人kyū nin

    nine people

  • 九時ku ji

    nine o'clock

Definition in Japanese

一から数えて八の次に当たる数。ichi ka ra kazo e te hachi no tsugi ni a ta ru kazu

Word origin

九 (kyū, "nine") is a Japanese numeral written with the Chinese character 九, borrowed together with its Sino-Japanese reading from Chinese.

Usage tips

  • The number 九 (kyū) appears in the familiar time expression 九時 (kuji, "nine o'clock"), where the reading is ku rather than kyū.

Word lists with this word