Korean Dictionary
How to say "Nine" in Korean
“Nine” in Korean is 아홉 (pronounced "ahop").
아홉
ahop
Usage & Context
The native Korean number for nine, used in everyday counting. The Sino-Korean 구 (gu) is used in formal contexts and with certain counters.
Example Sentence
학생이 아홉 명 있어요.
There are nine students.
How to use 아홉 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Nine” is 아홉, romanized as ahop.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 아홉.
Pronunciation Guide
"Ahop" is pronounced like "AH-hope." The 'a' is similar to the 'a' in "father." The 'hop' part sounds like "hope" in English, but the final 'p' is often very soft, almost unreleased, especially when followed by another consonant or at the end of a sentence.
More Example Sentences
Arranging a meeting time with someone.
아홉 시에 만날까요?
Shall we meet at nine o'clock?
Stating the number of people in one's family.
우리 가족은 아홉 명이에요.
Our family has nine members.
Recalling a past event related to one's age.
아홉 살 때 이사를 왔어요.
I moved when I was nine years old.
Cultural Context
"아홉" is a native Korean number, primarily used for counting items (with native Korean counters like 개 for general items, 명 for people, 마리 for animals), stating age (살), and telling hours (시). It's crucial to distinguish it from the Sino-Korean "구 (gu)," which is used for dates, minutes, phone numbers, and larger numbers. Using the correct number system is a fundamental aspect of sounding natural and accurate in Korean.
Editorial note
We review entries like 아홉 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
아홉 개
nine items (general counter)
아홉 명
nine people
아홉 살
nine years old
Related Expressions
구
gu
nine (Sino-Korean number)
여덟
yeodeol
eight (native Korean number)
열
yeol
ten (native Korean number)
아홉 시
ahop si
nine o'clock
More Numbers and Time Words
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