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Kanji Detail for 九 - "nine, nine times"

  • Meaning

    九 means "nine, nine times." Also associated with many.

    1. Nine - The number 9; nine units.

    2. Nine times - The ninth occurrence.

    3. Many - Numerous; abundant; countless times.

    4. To gather - To assemble; to collect.

  • Words using

    • 十九 じゅうきゅう Listen nineteen; 19
    • 九州 きゅうしゅう Listen Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
    • 九九 くく Listen multiplication table; times table
    • 千九百年代 せんきゅうひゃくねんだい Listen the 1900s
    • 九つ ここのつ Listen nine; nine years of age; twelve o'clock (old time system)
    • 九重 ここのえ Listen ninefold; imperial palace; the Court
    • 北九州 きたきゅうしゅう Listen Kitakyushu (city)
  • Four-character idioms with

    • 三拝九拝 さんぱいきゅうはい Listen kowtowing; bowing repeatedly; three kneelings and nine prostrations
    • 九分九厘 くぶくりん Listen almost certainly; in all probability; ten to one
    • 九十九折 つづらおり Listen winding; meandering; sinuous
    • 九寸五分 くすんごぶ Listen dagger
    • 九死一生 きゅうしいっしょう Listen narrow escape from the jaw of death
    • 十中八九 じっちゅうはっく Listen in 8 or 9 cases out of ten; in all probability
  • Origin of

    A bent arm reaching around a hook — an elbow's crook, borrowed for the sound "nine": the count strains to its furthest reach before ten completes it.

    How to remember it: An arm bent to its limit — nine, one stretch short of complete.

    Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com

  • Tattoo check:

    • Verified meaning: nine, nine times
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read あつみ, あつむ, いちじく, いちのく)
    • Also carries these associations: many

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of

    Given names (あつみ)Listen (いちじく)Listen (きゅう)Listen

    Surnames (あつむ)Listen (いちのく)Listen (きゆう)Listen ()Listen (くちのく)Listen (くのり)Listen (くらん)Listen (さざらし)Listen (たかし)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    nine

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    nine

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    nine; 9

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    nine

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    A number name. | Interchangeable with 糾. To gather. (Analects) "Duke Huan united the feudal lords nine times." Here 九 is not a number but means to gather together.
  • Onyomi

    tip
  • Kunyomi

    tip
  • Strokes

    tip
  • Radical

    tip
  • Related Keywords

Sentences including

  • In nine case out of ten he will be late.

  • It is just nine by my watch.

  • Ten to one they'll miss the train.

  • I'd like you to come at nine.

  • You must come back before nine o'clock.

  • I have never been to kyushu.

  • I escaped death.

  • Have you ever been to kyushu?

  • Ten to one , he will succeed.

  • Ten to one he will be chosen.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

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