Definition

1. Numeral:

   • Nine: The number 9 in the Vietnamese numeral system. It is used for counting and ordering.
   • Ninth: Indicating position in a sequence (ordinal number).

2. Noun:

   • The Ninth Rank (Cửu phẩm): In historical contexts, specifically in the imperial mandarinal system of Vietnam, it refers to the ninth and lowest rank in the nine-grade bureaucratic hierarchy. This is an abbreviated form of "cửu phẩm".

Usage Examples

• Numeral:

  • Gia đình tôi có cửu người. (My family has nine people.)
  • Anh ấy về đích ở vị trí thứ cửu. (He finished in ninth place.)

• Noun (Historical):

  • Ông ta chỉ là một viên quan cửu phẩm. (He was only a mandarin of the ninth rank.)
  • Trong hệ thống quan chức cũ, cửu là phẩm hàm thấp nhất. (In the old mandarinal system, the ninth rank was the lowest grade.)

Advanced Usage

• "cửu trùng": The ninth layer/heaven; a poetic or literary term often referring to the imperial palace or the highest authority (the emperor).

  • Tiếng kêu thấu tận cửu trùng. (The cry reached even the ninth heaven [the emperor].)

• "cửu tuyền" / "chín suối": The nine springs; a euphemistic and literary term for the underworld or the realm of the dead.

  • Lòng thành kính gửi xuống cửu tuyền. (Send sincere respects down to the nine springs [to the deceased].)

Variants and Related Words

• Cửu phẩm (n): The full term for the ninth mandarinal rank.
• Cửu đỉnh (n): The Nine Dynastic Urns, a set of nine bronze urns cast under Emperor Minh Mạng, symbolizing the sovereignty of the Nguyễn dynasty.
• Cửu Long (n): A common place name (e.g., Mekong River - Sông Cửu Long, meaning "Nine Dragons").

Synonyms

• Chín: The more common, everyday word for the number "nine". "Cửu" is often used in formal, literary, or fixed expressions.
  • số chín (the number nine)

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "cửu ngũ chí tôn": (From Chinese) The九五至尊 - The "Ninth-Five"至尊, a term referring to the supreme position of the emperor. It is a very formal, historical reference.
• "cửu tử nhất sinh" / "thập tử nhất sinh": (Nine deaths, one life / Ten deaths, one life) Meaning a situation of extreme danger with a very slim chance of survival.

number

1. Nine