九

Meaning

Nine · nueve

Readings

• On (音読み): キュウ・ク
• Kun (訓読み): ここの.つ

Example words

• 九つ（ここのつ）— nine (things)
• 九月（くがつ）— September
• 九時（くじ）— nine o'clock

Structure

Radical 乙 (おつ · Second, fish hook) · 2 strokes · school grade 1

Watch out

く is used for months and hours (九月, 九時); きゅう almost everywhere else. Look-alike 力 (power): 九's second stroke sweeps out to the right and curls up; 力's drops down and hooks back to the left.