九 jiǔ nine

源How it came to be

An arm bent hard at the elbow, with the hand hooked back. The number borrowed the shape early and the arm was forgotten: the crook at the bottom right is all that is left.

用How it is used

• Nine - 九个 (jiǔ ge) nine of, 九月 (jiǔyuè) September.
• Homophone with 久 (jiǔ) 'long-lasting', so 9 is favored at weddings for the wish of enduring love.

字Characters built with 九

• 究 investigate
• 杂 mixed
• 抛 to abandon
• 轨 track
• 仇 enemy
• 旭 the rising sun

句Example sentences

• 现在是九点。 Xiànzài shì jiǔ diǎn.It's nine o'clock now.
• 飞机九点起飞。 Fēijī jiǔ diǎn qǐfēi.The airplane departs at 9:00.
• 现在是九点一刻。 Xiànzài shì jiǔ diǎn yī kè.It's a quarter past nine.