nine

JLPT N5 2 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Basic Meaning and Usage

The character (jiǔ) simply means the number nine. It is used in counting, telling time, and expressing quantities. It is one of the first numbers learners encounter and appears frequently in daily conversation.

Common Collocations and Patterns

  • (jiǔ diǎn): nine o'clock, used when telling time.
  • 个人 (jiǔ gè rén): nine people, a common way to count people.
  • (jiǔ cì): nine times, used to indicate frequency or repetition.

Usage Notes

is always a cardinal number and does not change form. It is often combined with measure words like (gè) for people or (cì) for times. When telling time, it is followed by (diǎn). Avoid confusing with similar-sounding words like (jiǔ), which means "long time."

Example Sentences

There are nine people in my family.

He goes to work at nine o'clock.

I did this problem nine times before I got it right.