Usage of the character 九

the nine schools of thought, philosophical schools of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (770-220 BC), viz Confucians 儒家 ( Rújiā), Daoists 道家 ( Dàojiā), Yin and Yang 陰陽家／阴阳家 ( Yīnyángjiā), Legalists 法家 ( Fǎjiā), Logicians 名家 ( Míngjiā), Mohists 墨家 ( Mòjiā), Diplomats 縱橫家／纵横家 ( Zònghéngjiā), Miscellaneous 雜家／杂家 ( Zájiā), and Agriculturalists 農家／农家 ( Nóngjiā)

Jiǔfèn

九份

[九份]

Jiufen (or Jioufen or Chiufen), mountainside town in north Taiwan, former gold mining town, used as the setting for two well-known movies

jiǔshí

九十

[九十]

ninety

Jiǔ Dǐng

九鼎

[九鼎]

the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, symbol of state power, dating back to the Xia Dynasty

jiǔquán

九泉

[九泉]

the nine springs
the underworld of Chinese mythology
Hades

jiāojiǔ

交九

[交九]

the coldest period of the year
three nine day periods after the winter solstice

Jiǔzhōu

九州

[九州]

division of China during earliest dynasties
fig. ancient China
Kyūshū, southernmost of Japan's four major islands

Bèijiǔ

贝九

[貝九]

Beethoven's Ninth

jiǔkǒng

九孔

[九孔]

abalone (Haliotis diversicolor)

jiǔchéng

九成

[九成]

nine-tenths
ninety percent

jiǔguī

九归

[九歸]

abacus division rules (using a single-digit divisor)

Jiǔlóngpō

九龙坡

[九龍坡]

Jiulongpo, a district of Chongqing 重慶／重庆 ( Chongqíng)

jiǔwěiguī

九尾龟

[九尾龜]

nine-tailed turtle of mythology
The Nine-tailed Turtle, novel by late Qing novelist Zhang Chunfan 張春帆／张春帆

jiǔgōnggé

九宫格

[九宮格]

3-by-3 grid

Jiǔyí Shān

九嶷山

[九嶷山]

Jiuyi Mountains in Hunan on the border with Guangdong

jiǔlínghòu

九零后

[九零後]

90s generation

Jiǔgōng Shān

九宫山

[九宮山]

Jiugong Mountains (the location of Jiugong Mountain National Park), in Tongshan County, Xianning 咸寧／咸宁 ( Xiánníng), Hubei

chòulǎojiǔ

臭老九

[臭老九]

stinking intellectual (contemptuous term for educated people during the Cultural Revolution)

jiǔtóuniǎo

九头鸟

[九頭鳥]

legendary bird with nine heads (old)
cunning or sly person

Jiǔjiāngshì

九江市

[九江市]

Jiujiang prefecture-level city in Jiangxi

jiǔmiàntǐ

九面体

[九面體]

enneahedron (solid figure having nine plane faces)

Jiǔlǐqū

九里区

[九里區]

Liuli district of Xuzhou city 徐州市 ( Xúzhōushì), Jiangsu

sānjiǔtiān

三九天

[三九天]

the twenty seven days after the Winter Solstice, reputed to be the coldest days of the year

jiǔliánhuán

九连环

[九連環]

Chinese rings, a brainteaser toy consisting of nine rings interlocked on a looped handle, the objective being to remove the rings from the handle

Jiǔlóngchéng

九龙城

[九龍城]

Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Jiǔlóngxiàn

九龙县

[九龍縣]

Jiulong county (Tibetan: brgyad zur rdzong) in Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture 甘孜藏族自治州 ( Gānzī Zàngzúzìzhìzhōu), Sichuan (formerly in Kham province of Tibet)

Jiǔjiāngxiàn

九江县

[九江縣]

Jiujiang county in Jiujiang 九江, Jiangxi

xiǎojiǔjiǔ

小九九

[小九九]

multiplication tables
(fig.) plan
scheme

shǔjiǔtiān

数九天

[數九天]

nine periods of nine days each after winter solstice, the coldest time of the year

zhūjiǔzú

诛九族

[誅九族]

to execute all of sb's relatives (as punishment) (old)

Mǎ Yīngjiǔ

马英九

[馬英九]

Ma Ying-jeou (1950-), Taiwanese Kuomintang politician, Mayor of Taipei 1998-2006, president of Republic of China 2008-2016

jiǔbiānxíng

九边形

[九邊形]

nonagon

Jiǔzhàigōu

九寨沟

[九寨溝]

Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan
Jiuzhaigou county, Sichuan

jiǔyuèfèn

九月份

[九月份]

September
ninth month

jiǔkǒngluó

九孔螺

[九孔螺]

see 九孔 (jiǔkǒng)

jiǔcéngtǎ

九层塔

[九層塔]

basil

jiǔchóngxiāo

九重霄

[九重霄]

ninth heaven
Highest Heaven

jiǔxiāngchóng

九香虫

[九香蟲]

brown marmorated stinkbug (BMSB)

Jiǔtái Qū

九台区

[九台區]

Jiutai District of Changchun city 長春市／长春市, Jilin

Jiǔhuá Shān

九华山

[九華山]

Mount Jiuhua in Anhui, scenic tourist site, and one of the four famous Buddhist mountains

xiàjiǔliú

下九流

[下九流]

the lowest professions

Jiǔrúxiāng

九如乡

[九如鄉]

Chiuju township in Pingtung County 屏東縣／屏东县 ( Píngdōng Xiàn), Taiwan

Jiǔyuánqū

九原区

[九原區]

Jiuyuan district of Baotou city 包頭市／包头市 ( Bāotóushì), Inner Mongolia

jiǔwěihú

九尾狐

[九尾狐]

nine-tailed fox (mythological creature)

jiǔguānniǎo

九官鸟

[九官鳥]

hill myna
Indian grackle
Gracula religiosa

jiǔhàoqiú

九号球

[九號球]

nine-ball (billiards game)

Jiǔlóngpōqū

九龙坡区

[九龍坡區]

Jiulongpo district of central Chongqing municipality, formerly in Sichuan

shízhībājiǔ

十之八九

[十之八九]

most likely
mostly (in 8 or 9 cases out of 10)
vast majority

shíchéng-jiǔwěn

十成九稳

[十成九穩]

see 十拿九穩／十拿九稳 (shiná-jiuwén)

Guǎng Jiǔtiělù

广九铁路

[廣九鐵路]

Guangdong and Kowloon railway

Jiǔjiǔchóngyáng

九九重阳

[九九重陽]

Double Ninth or Yang Festival
9th day of 9th lunar month

Jiǔlóng Chéngzhài

九龙城寨

[九龍城寨]

Kowloon Walled City

Jiǔsān Xuéshè

九三学社

[九三學社]

Jiusan Society, one of the eight political parties of the CCP

jiǔxúnlǎorén

九旬老人

[九旬老人]

nonagenarian

Jiǔ Er Gòngshí

九二共识

[九二共識]

1992 Consensus, statement issued after 1992 talks between PRC and Taiwan representatives, asserting that there is only one China

jiǔchǐdīngpá

九齿钉耙

[九齒釘耙]

The Nine-Toothed Rake (weapon of Zhu Bajie 豬八戒／猪八戒 ( Zhū Bājiè))

Jiǔlóngpō Qū

九龙坡区

[九龍坡區]

Jiulongpo, a district of Chongqing 重慶／重庆 ( Chongqíng)

Jīng Jiǔ Tiělù

京九铁路

[京九鐵路]

JingJiu (Beijing-Kowloon) railway

shíná-jiǔwěn

十拿九稳

[十拿九穩]

to be a cinch; in the bag
(of a person) confident of success

shǔjiǔhántiān

数九寒天

[數九寒天]

nine periods of nine days each after winter solstice, the coldest time of the year

jiǔsǐyīshēng

九死一生

[九死一生]

nine deaths and still alive (idiom); a narrow escape
new lease of life

lóngshēngjiǔzǐ

龙生九子

[龍生九子]

lit. the dragon has nine sons (idiom); fig. all kinds of characters
good and bad intermingled
It takes all sorts to make a world.

sānxúnjiǔshí

三旬九食

[三旬九食]

lit. to have only nine meals in thirty days (idiom)
fig. (of a family) on the brink of starvation
in dire straits

jiǔxiāoyúnwài

九霄云外

[九霄雲外]

beyond the topmost clouds (idiom)
unimaginably far away

shíyǒubājiǔ

十有八九

[十有八九]

most likely
mostly (in 8 or 9 cases out of 10)
vast majority

yīyánjiǔdǐng

一言九鼎

[一言九鼎]

one word worth nine sacred tripods (idiom); words of enormous weight

jiǔfēnzhīyī

九分之一

[九分之一]

one ninth

Jiǔtiān Xuánnü

九天玄女

[九天玄女]

Xuan Nü, a fairy in Chinese mythology

sānjiàojiǔliú

三教九流

[三教九流]

the Three Religions (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism) and Nine Schools (Confucians, Daoists, Yin-Yang, Legalists, Logicians, Mohists, Political Strategists, Eclectics, Agriculturists)
fig. people from all trades (often derog.)

Jiǔ Xiào Liánméng

九校联盟

[九校聯盟]

C9 League, alliance of nine prestigious Chinese universities, established in 1998

Jiǔzhāng Suànshù

九章算术

[九章算術]

The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art

shídǔjiǔshū

十赌九输

[十賭九輸]

lit. in gambling, nine times out of ten you lose (idiom)
fig. gambling is a mug's game

jiǔshēngliùdiào

九声六调

[九聲六調]

nine tones and six modes (tonal system of Cantonese and other southern languages)

jiǔtiānlǎnyuè

九天揽月

[九天攬月]

(idiom) to reach for the stars

Yuánjiāngjiǔlèi

沅江九肋

[沅江九肋]

rare talent
lit. legendary nine-ribbed turtle of Yuan river

Jiǔzhàigōuxiàn

九寨沟县

[九寨溝縣]

Jiuzhaigou county, Sichuan

jiǔniú-yīmáo

九牛一毛

[九牛一毛]

lit. one hair from nine oxen (idiom)
fig. a drop in the ocean

Jiǔgōngshānzhèn

九宫山镇

[九宮山鎮]

Jiugongshan town in Tongshan county, Xianning prefecture-level city 咸寧／咸宁 ( Xiánníng), Hubei

zhōnggòngjiǔdà

中共九大

[中共九大]

Chinese Communist Party 9th congress in 1969

jiǔjiǔguīyī

九九归一

[九九歸一]

nine divide by nine is one (abacus rule)
when all is said and done

sānzhēnjiǔliè

三贞九烈

[三貞九烈]

(of a widow) faithful to the death to her husband's memory

sānguìjiǔkòu

三跪九叩

[三跪九叩]

to kneel three times and kowtow nine times (formal etiquette on meeting the emperor)

jiǔjiǔchéngfǎbiǎo

九九乘法表

[九九乘法表]

multiplication table

Jiǔ Yībā Shìbiàn

九一八事变

[九一八事變]

the Mukden or Manchurian Railway Incident of 18th September 1931 used by the Japanese as a pretext to annex Manchuria
also known as Liutiaogou incident 柳條溝事變／柳条沟事变

bājiǔbùlíshí

八九不离十

[八九不離十]