九
nine
jiǔ
What does 九 mean?
九 (jiǔ) is the Chinese number 'nine' — used in counting (一二三...九十), telling time (九点 jiǔ diǎn, 9 o'clock), naming dates (九月 jiǔyuè, September; the 9th of the month is 九号 jiǔ hào), and giving phone numbers and prices. Culturally, 九 is the luckiest single-digit number in Chinese: it is a homophone of 久 (jiǔ, 'long-lasting / eternal'), which is why Chinese weddings, imperial architecture (the Forbidden City's nine-nine-rivet doors), and good-luck giving (red envelopes of 99, 999, 9999 yuan) lean on it.
English speakers should note: when 九 is followed by another number to form 'nineteen' (十九 shíjiǔ) or 'ninety' (九十 jiǔshí), the tone stays third but is often pronounced 'half-third' in fast speech. A formal/anti-fraud variant 玖 is used on checks.
Character breakdown
nine; the digit 9
Memory hook: 九 looks like a hook with a tail — and 'nine' is the last single-digit hook before you climb to ten.
Example sentences
现在九点。
Xiànzài jiǔ diǎn.
It's nine o'clock now.
neutral
我九月去中国。
Wǒ jiǔyuè qù Zhōngguó.
I'm going to China in September.
neutral
今天是九号。
Jīntiān shì jiǔ hào.
Today is the 9th.
spoken
他今年九岁。
Tā jīnnián jiǔ suì.
He is nine years old this year.
spoken
Common phrases with 九
Synonyms
玖 is the formal 'anti-fraud' form of 九 used on bank checks, contracts, and official receipts so the digit cannot be altered. In daily speech and writing, always use 九.
Don't confuse 九 with
久 ('long time / lasting') sounds identical to 九 ('nine'). The homophone is exactly why 九 became culturally lucky. Different character, different meaning, same pinyin.
酒 means 'alcohol / liquor.' Same pinyin as 九, but third tone alcohol vs. third tone nine — only the character disambiguates in writing. 喝酒 = drink alcohol; 九点 = nine o'clock.
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