九(きゅう)

きゅう
number
nine
1. nine
The number nine. Like four, nine has two readings: きゅう and く. きゅう is more common because く sounds like 苦(く) (suffering), making it somewhat inauspicious.
九(きゅう)時(じ)に寝(ね)ます。
I go to bed at nine o'clock.
くじ is also used
九(きゅう)月(がつ)から学校(がっこう)が始(はじ)まります。
School starts in September.
一(いち)から九(きゅう)まで数(かぞ)えてください。
Please count from one to nine.
私(わたし)は毎日(まいにち)朝(あさ)九(く)時(じ)から夕方(ゆうがた)六(ろく)時(じ)まで仕事(しごと)をしています。
I work from nine in the morning to six in the evening every day.
九(く)時(じ) uses the く reading
九(きゅう)月(がつ)になると夜(よる)が涼(すず)しくなってきます。夏(なつ)の暑(あつ)さが終(お)わって、過(す)ごしやすい季節(きせつ)になるので、散歩(さんぽ)するのが好(す)きです。
When September comes, the nights start to get cooler. The summer heat ends and it becomes a comfortable season, so I like taking walks.

Both きゅう and く are valid readings. きゅう is more common in general, but く appears in some fixed expressions and counters. The native counter is 九(ここの)つ (kokonotsu). 九(く)時(じ) (kuji, nine o'clock) uses く, while 九(きゅう)月(がつ) (kugatsu, September) uses きゅう in writing but く in the reading.

basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:11 · Revised 2026.2.16 12:47
00500/00728_kyuu