九 meaning and stroke order
Nine; 9
How to write 九, stroke by stroke
2 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
Meaning of 九
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- nine
- 9
How 九 is built
Pictographic character. An elbow.
Radical: 乙 (second), shared by 6 characters on this site.
How to remember 九
九 (jiǔ) is drawn from the picture of a bent elbow. Picture an arm bending with a slanted stroke 丿 crossed by a hooked 乙, and count nine as the number that bends just before ten.
九 is the everyday word for nine and builds bigger numbers like 十九 (shíjiǔ, nineteen) and 九十 (jiǔshí, ninety). It also appears in expressions such as 十有八九 (shíyǒubājiǔ), meaning most likely. Example: 我九点上课。(Wǒ jiǔ diǎn shàngkè.) I have class at nine o'clock.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 九 with 力 (lì, strength), which has a similar shape, but in 九 the final stroke curves out to the right and ends in an upward hook. Also keep the third tone in jiǔ so it does not sound like 酒 (jiǔ, alcohol) said with the wrong context or 就 (jiù) in the fourth tone.
Common words with 九
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
九 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 九
Learning 九 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 九
How many strokes are in 九?
九 is written with 2 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 九 mean?
九 (jiǔ) means nine; 9. A common word with it is 十九 (shíjiǔ), meaning "nineteen; 19".
How do you pronounce 九?
九 is pronounced jiǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 九?
The radical of 九 is 乙, which carries the idea of "second". Dictionaries list 九 under this radical.
Is 九 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 九 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why is the number nine considered lucky in Chinese?
九 (jiǔ) sounds the same as 久 (jiǔ), meaning long lasting. Because of this, nine is linked to long life and lasting relationships, and it often shows up in wedding dates and gifts.
What does 九成 mean when talking about chances?
九成 (jiǔchéng) means nine tenths or ninety percent. People use it to say something is very likely, as in 九成会下雨 (jiǔchéng huì xià yǔ), it will almost certainly rain.