九
nine; many; several
Meanings
4 senses · 18 examplesnumeral
nine; the number 8 plus 1
The cardinal number between eight and ten, basic daily-use numeral.
I bought nine apples today.
There are nine desks in the classroom.
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Class starts at nine o'clock sharp.
Her birthday is on September 9th.
There are ninety students in this class.
noun
nine-day period (from Winter Solstice)
literaryUsed exclusively to refer to the coldest period of winter, often paired with the phrase 三九 san3 jiu3 for the coldest stage.
Northern people often say to keep warm during the cold nine-day periods.
Practice in the cold three nine-day periods in winter, and in the three dog days in summer is a traditional proverb.
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After the nine-day counting period ends, the weather will slowly get warmer.
When does the ninth nine-day period start this year?
When I was little, I loved counting the nine-day periods with my grandma.
determiner/quantifier
many; numerous; several times
literaryUsed in fixed compound words to convey a large, indefinite number, not literal nine.
He works in a place far beyond the clouds.
Beneath the nine springs underground, ancestors bless their descendants.
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This small path has nine bends and eighteen turns, it's hard to walk through.
He escaped the dangerous situation after a narrow escape.
This book has content that took an enormous amount of effort to complete.
proper noun
surname Jiu
A rare Chinese family name.
Mr. Jiu is a new colleague at our company.
The Jiu family name ranks relatively low on the Hundred Family Surnames list.
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I know a friend named Jiu Ming.