HSK Level 1

jiǔ

nine

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Example Sentences

九点钟了。

jiǔ diǎn zhōng le.

It's nine o'clock.

我有九本书。

wǒ yǒu jiǔ běn shū.

I have nine books.

九九八十一。

jiǔ jiǔ bā shí yī.

Nine times nine is eighty-one.

Synonyms

(jiǔ)

nine

九霄 (jiǔxiāo)

the ninth heaven

九重天 (jiǔchóngtiān)

the ninth heaven

Antonyms

(yī)

one

(shí)

ten

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 九 (jiǔ) for "nine" is composed of two parts: the radical 丿 (piě) and the phonetic component 弋 (yì). The radical 丿 represents a hook or a stroke, while the phonetic component 弋 represents a hand holding a weapon. Together, these two components suggest the idea of "reaching out" or "grasping", which is related to the concept of "nine" as a large number that is difficult to grasp or comprehend.Another interpretation of the character 九 is that it represents the shape of a person with two arms raised, which is a gesture often used to express surprise or astonishment. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the character 九 is sometimes used in Chinese to express the idea of "a lot" or "a great deal".The character 九 has a long history in Chinese culture and has been used in a variety of contexts. It is often used in poetry and literature to express feelings of awe or wonder, and it is also used in mathematics and science to represent the number nine.