아홉
ahop[a̠βo̞p̚]
Nine in Korean is represented by several forms, primarily 아홉 (ahop). Wiktionary also lists 구 (gu) and 나인 (nain).
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 아홉 | ahop | [a̠βo̞p̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 구 | gu | [ku] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 나인 | nain | [na̠in] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Use the native Korean form 아홉 when counting objects or people or when used with counters. The form 나인 is a phonetic loanword from English used primarily in specific brand names or pop culture contexts.
Which one should you use?
아홉 is the native Korean form. 구 is a rare form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The native Korean number 아홉 is used with counters like 개 (items) or 명 (people).
How do you pronounce it?
ahop
Did you know?
- In Korean, the word 구 can be used as a specific classifier to count coffins or corpses.
- In Korean culture, the number nine is often associated with completion or the peak of a cycle, but it can also carry a sense of being 'almost' there or unfinished.
- The Sino-Korean number 구 is used for minutes and seconds, but the native 아홉 is used for hours. This creates a linguistic split when telling the time.
Examples in context
- 고양이는 목숨이 아홉 개다.Cats have nine lives.This sentence illustrates the use of 아홉 when counting lives.Tatoeba #11105884 by intertime, translation #453045 by CM
- 벌써 아홉시다.It is already nine o'clock.This sentence shows 아홉 being used in the context of time.Tatoeba #6829692 by yesjustryan, translation #863626 by cris
- 구천구백구십구 더하기 일은 만이다.Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine plus one is ten thousand.This sentence demonstrates the use of 구 within a mathematical expression.Tatoeba #5281711 by Sudajaengi, translation #6200425 by yulesan
- 오늘은 아홉 시에 만나자.Let's meet at nine o'clock today.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minji and Dohyeon are counting pieces of candy.
- 민지 Min-ji사탕이 몇 개 있어, 도현아?satangi myeot gae isseo, Dohyeon-a?How many candies are there, Dohyeon?
- 도현 Do-hyeon음, 여기 아홉 개 있어.eum, yeogi ahop gae isseo.Hmm, there are nine here.
- 민지 Min-ji진짜? 생각보다 많네!jinjja? saenggakboda manne!Really? That's more than I thought!
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 너도 하나 먹을래?Minji neo do hana meogeullae?Do you want one too, Minji?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nine” translations and entries 아홉, 구, 나인, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 구, 아홉, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
