구
gu · TOPIK 1
nine (Sino-Korean)
gu = 九: same root as Mandarin jiǔ and Japanese kyū/ku
구 is the Sino-Korean reading of the hanja 九, borrowed from Chinese. It is used for dates, money, phone numbers and minutes, while native Korean 아홉 counts things. Sound hook: gu rhymes with Japanese ku, also nine.