九 — Kanji Reference

九 (nine): 2 strokes, JLPT N5. On: キュウ、ク. Kun: ここの、ここの-つ.

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九

Property Value
Meaning nine
Strokes 2
JLPT Level N5
On-reading (音読み) キュウ、ク
Kun-reading (訓読み) ここの、ここの-つ
Radical 乙 (おつ - otsu) U+4E59

Stroke Order

The kanji 九 is written in 2 strokes following the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.

  1. Stroke 1 (撇 - he): Start from the top left, draw a curved diagonal line downward to the left.
  2. Stroke 2 (横折彎鉤 - ō-ore-wan-kō): Start from the top center, draw a horizontal line to the right, then turn sharply downward and curve slightly to the left, ending with a small hook.

Radical Analysis

The radical for 九 is 乙 (おつ - otsu), which represents the "second" in a sequence or a winding shape. Historically, 九 was a pictograph of a bent arm or a winding shape, which later became associated with the number nine. It is a simple character that does not typically function as a semantic component in other kanji, but rather stands as a foundational numeral.

Mnemonic

  • The Hooked Arm: Imagine a person holding up their hand to count to nine. They have bent their arm (the first stroke) and are curling their fingers (the hook in the second stroke) to show the number nine.
  • The "Q" Connection: The shape of 九 looks like a stylized, handwritten "q" (for "nine" in English).

On-readings (音読み) with Examples

キュウ (kyū)

Word Reading Romaji English
九月 くがつ kugatsu September
九時 くじ kuji 9 o'clock
九回 きゅうかい kyūkai 9th inning / 9 times
九死 きゅうし kyūshi nine deaths (narrow escape)

ク (ku)

Word Reading Romaji English
九日 ここのか kokonoka 9th day of the month
九九 くく kuku multiplication table
九条 くじょう kujō 9th Article (of the Constitution)

Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples

ここの (kokono)

Word Reading Romaji English
九重 ここのえ kokonoe nine-fold / many-layered

ここの-つ (kokonotsu)

Word Reading Romaji English
九つ ここのつ kokonotsu nine (general counter)

JLPT N5 Words Using 九

Word Reading Romaji English JLPT
九 ここのつ kokonotsu nine N5
九時 くじ kuji 9 o'clock N5
九月 くがつ kugatsu September N5
九日 ここのか kokonoka 9th day N5
九百 きゅうひゃく kyūhyaku 900 N5
九千 きゅうせん kyūsen 9,000 N5
九万 きゅうまん kyūman 90,000 N5
九十九 きゅうじゅうきゅう kyūjūkyū 99 N5

Example Sentences

Japanese Reading Romaji English
部屋に九つ椅子があります。 へやにここのついすがあります。 Heya ni kokonotsu isu ga arimasu. There are nine chairs in the room.
今は九時です。 いまはくじです。 Ima wa kuji desu. It is 9 o'clock now.
九月は暑いです。 くがつはあついです。 Kugatsu wa atsui desu. September is hot.
彼は九回まで投げました。 かれはきゅうかいまでなげました。 Kare wa kyūkai made nagemashita. He pitched until the 9th inning.
九日後に会いましょう。 ここのかごにあいましょう。 Kokonoka-go ni aimashō. Let's meet in nine days.
九九を覚えていますか。 くくをおぼえていますか。 Kuku o oboete imasu ka. Do you remember the multiplication table?

Common Confusion Pairs

Kanji Reading Meaning How to distinguish
九 きゅう nine Has a hook at the end of the second stroke.
力 ちから power/strength The second stroke is a diagonal slash, not a hook.
丸 まる circle/round Contains a dot inside; means "round" or "circle."

Usage Frequency Note

九 is a high-frequency kanji used daily in dates, times, and counting. It is one of the first kanji taught to children and is essential for basic communication. In formal writing, it is used for all numerical references to nine, and it appears frequently in proper nouns (like Kujō).