久

See also: 乆 and 欠

久	U+4E45, 久 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E45

← 乄
[U+4E44]

CJK Unified Ideographs

乆 →
[U+4E46]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

久 (Kangxi radical 4, 丿+2, 3 strokes, cangjie input 弓人 (NO) or 難弓人 (XNO), four-corner 2780₀, composition ⿸𠂊㇏)

Derived characters

奺, 汣, 杦, 玖, 畂, 镹, 畝, 灸, 粂, 㝌, 羑, 羐, 㡱, 疚, 匛

Additional Derived Characters

𬽧, 𠖮, 𠮻, 𡉌, 𮱿, 𫼖, 𠇉, 𬀨, 𰝺, 𠇧, 𮵉, 𱵼, 𮊣, 𦤷, 𧰫, 𰸃, 𮠘, 𨥆, 𩐗, 𭅥, 𭐕, 𪦉, 𥹰, 𬗎, 𱍾, 𱍿, 𮄴, 𭧟, 𪔼, 𲉬, 𪖓
𣬨, 𧺓, 𡚰, 𡚮, 𫡠, 𠥾, 𤆐, 𨾉, 𭖃, 𬜢, 𥤯, 𦮖, 𠨠, 𫘹, 𦇥, 𰿙, 𣿤, 𤥍, 𠝙, 𥏑, 𢆩, 𣖈

Descendants

く (Hiragana character derived from man'yōgana)
ク (Katakana character derived from man'yōgana)
𛀫 (Hentaigana)
𛀬 (Hentaigana)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 81, character 19
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 118
Dae Jaweon: page 165, character 6
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 33, character 3
Unihan data for U+4E45

Chinese

simp. and trad.		久
alternative forms		乆𫝄

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 久
Small seal script s03941 Transcribed ancient scripts L35395 L35396 L35397 L35398 L35399 L18239 L18240 L18241 L18242 L18243 L18244 L18245 L18246 L18247 L18248 L18249
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series () (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
畂	*ɡʷ·rɯs
久	*kʷlɯʔ
灸	kʷlɯʔ, kʷlɯs
玖	*kʷlɯʔ
疚	*kʷlɯs
柩	*ɡʷlɯs
羑	*ɡʷ·lɯʔ

Used interchangeably with 氒 in oracle bone script. Likely a pictogram (象形) of an arrow tip.

Etymology

Possibly Sino-Tibetan. Compare Bantawa [script needed] (kʰokpa, “old man”) (Sagart, 2017d), which STEDT derives from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kwak (“old”).

舊 (OC *N-kʷəʔ-s) may be a derivative (Baxter and Sagart, 2014). See there for more.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jiǔ (jiu³)

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄡˇ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): jiu³

(Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): jiù
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gau²

(Dongguan, Jyutping++): gaau²

(Taishan, Wiktionary): giu²
Gan (Wiktionary): jiu³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kiú

(Hailu, HRS): giu^ˊ

(Meixian, Guangdong): giu³
Jin (Wiktionary): jiou²
Northern Min (KCR): giǔ
Eastern Min (BUC): gū / giēu
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gu³ / giu³
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kú / kiú

(Teochew, Peng'im): gu²

(Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): gu² / giu²
Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): gau²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵cieu
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jiou³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiǔ
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄡˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiǒu
  - Wade–Giles: chiu³
  - Yale: jyǒu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jeou
  - Palladius: цзю (czju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: jiu³
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: giu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiəu⁵³/
- (Xi'an)
  - Guanzhong Pinyin: jiù
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiɤu⁵³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: gau²
  - Yale: gáu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gau²
  - Guangdong Romanization: geo²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐu̯³⁵/
- (Dongguan, Guancheng)
  - Jyutping++: gaau²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kau³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: giu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiu⁵⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jiu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiu²¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiú
  - Hakka Romanization System: giu^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: giu³
  - Sinological IPA: /ki̯u³¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: giu^ˊ
  - Sinological IPA: /kiu²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: giu³
  - Sinological IPA: /kiu³¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jiou²
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiəu⁵³/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: giǔ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiu²¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gū / giēu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku³³/, /kieu³³/

Note:

gū - vernacular;
giēu - literary.

Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gu³
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gû
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku³³²/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: giu³
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: giû
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiu⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: giu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiu³³²/

Note:

gu3 - vernacular;
giu3 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kú
  - Tâi-lô: kú
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kuo
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ku⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ku⁴¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /ku⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiú
  - Tâi-lô: kiú
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kiuo
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kiu⁴¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kiu⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kiu⁵³/

Note:

kú - vernacular;
kiú - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: gu²
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kú
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku⁵²/
(Leizhou)
- Leizhou Pinyin: gu² / giu²
- Sinological IPA: /ku³¹/, /kiu³¹/

Note:

gu2 - vernacular;
giu2 - literary.

Southern Pinghua
- (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
  - Jyutping++: gau²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kəu³³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵cieu
  - MiniDict: cieu^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²jieu
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕiɤ³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: jiou³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯əu̯⁴¹/

Middle Chinese: kjuwX

Rime
Character	久
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	舉有切
Baxter	kjuwX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɨu^X/
Pan Wuyun	/kiu^X/
Shao Rongfen	/kiəu^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kuw^X/
Li Rong	/kiu^X/
Wang Li	/kĭəu^X/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ki̯ə̯u^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiǔ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gau²

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ʷəʔ/

(Zhengzhang): /*kʷlɯʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	久
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ kjuw^X ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ʷəʔ/
English	a long time
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	久
Reading #	1/1
No.	6969
Phonetic component
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*kʷlɯʔ/

Definitions

久

(of time) long
你待了多久？ ― Nǐ dāi le duōjiǔ? ― How long did you stay?

我們走路走了很久。 [MSC, trad.]
我们走路走了很久。 [MSC, simp.]
Wǒmen zǒulù zǒu le hěn jiǔ. [Pinyin]
We walked for a long time.
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 久 (“long (time)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		久
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		久
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	久
	Malaysia	久
	Singapore	久
Cantonese	Guangzhou	耐
	Hong Kong	耐
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	耐
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	久
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	久
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	耐
	Taishan	久
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	耐
	Singapore (Guangfu)	耐
Gan	Nanchang	久
Hakka	Meixian	久
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	久
	Boluo (Bendihua)	久
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	久
	Longchuan (Tuocheng; Bendihua)	久
	Heping (Linzhai; Bendihua)	久
	Lianping (Longjie; Bendihua)	久
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	久
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	久
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	久
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	久
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	久
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	久
	Hong Kong	久
	Senai (Huiyang)	久
	Kuching (Hepo)	久
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	𣆯
	Fuzhou (Changle)	𣆯
	Fuqing	𣆯
	Yongtai	𣆯
	Gutian	長久
	Fu'an	𣆯
	Ningde	𣆯
	Shouning	長遠
	Zhouning	長遠
	Fuding	久
	Singapore (Fuqing)	𣆯
Southern Min	Xiamen	久
	Quanzhou	久
	Jinjiang	久
	Dongshan	久
	Taipei	久 GT
	Penang (Hokkien)	久
	Singapore (Hokkien)	久
	Manila (Hokkien)	久
	Chaozhou	久
	Raoping	久
	Shantou	久
	Haifeng	久
	Bangkok (Teochew)	久
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	久
	Singapore (Teochew)	久
	Wenchang	久
	Qionghai	久
	Singapore (Hainanese)	久
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	久長
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no particular region identified)