九 means “nine”

く · ku

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ここの, ここのつ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キュウ, ク

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 1 · 2 strokes

The story

Nine-tailed fox spirits roam ancient Japanese folklore, shape-shifting through centuries of legend.

Like four, the sound "ku" means suffering, so nine can be unlucky

Its parts

• 九 Nine · Entire character

A bent arm reaching: nine, the last single digit

Kanji that look like 九

• 丸 (circle / round): 丸 adds a dot: a circle is a nine that rolled up

More from Ancient Counting

• 十 ten
• 百 hundred
• 千 thousand
• 万 ten thousand
• 半 half
• 零 zero
• 数 number
• 一番 first
• 年 year
• 分 minute
• 多 many
• 一 one

Learn 九 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.