秋

秋

See also: 秌 and 鞦

秋 U+79CB, 秋 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-79CB ← 秊 [U+79CA] CJK Unified Ideographs 秌 → [U+79CC]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

秋 (Kangxi radical 115, 禾+4, 9 strokes, cangjie input 竹木火 (HDF), four-corner 2998₀, composition ⿰禾火)

Derived characters

• 鍬, 𤋦, 萩, 篍, 啾

References

• KangXi: page 850, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 24940
• Dae Jaweon: page 1273, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2595, character 5
• Unihan data for U+79CB

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Chinese

Etymology 1

trad.		秋
simp. #		秋
alternative forms		秌／秋 𤇫 𥝛 𥡄 𥡌 秌／秋 𤇫 𥝛 𥡄 𥡌 𥤚 𥤛 𪺋 𥤠 𪔁 𪚼 𪛁 龝

Unclear. Schuessler (2007) minimally reconstructed OC *tshiu < Proto-Chinese *C-nh(i)u and proposed its cognacy to either:

收 (OC *(n)hiu) "to reap, harvest, gather"; or

卒 (OC *tsut) "to finish, end, die", as vegetation dies in autumn; additionally in Zuozhuan, this word's referent was winter's dead vegetation.

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 秋
Shang		Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Oracle bone script	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
鍫	*sʰew
篍	*sʰiw, *sʰiws, *sʰɯw
愀	*sʰiwʔ, *zɯwʔ
湫	*ʔsliwʔ, *ʔsɯw, *sʰɯw, *zɯwʔ
揪	*ʔsɯw
揫	*ʔsɯw
啾	*ʔsɯw
鬏	*ʔsɯw
秋	*sʰɯw
鰍	*sʰɯw
楸	*sʰɯw
秌	*sʰɯw
鞦	*sʰɯw
鶖	*sʰɯw
萩	*sʰɯw
甃	*ʔsrɯws
醔	*sʰrɯw
愁	*zrɯw
僽	*zrɯws

The oracle bone forms and bronze inscriptions show the pictogram (象形) of a cricket or a locust, sometimes with a fire 火 glyph underneath. In its later form, became a Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰɯw) : semantic 禾 (“rice”) + abbreviated phonetic 𤒅 (). Often thought of as an Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 禾 (“grain”) + 火 (“fire”); after harvesting the grain, the fields are burned to kill locusts and their eggs.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): qiū (qiu¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄡ

  (Chengdu, SP): qiu¹

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): чю (či͡u, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): cau¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): tiu¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): qiu¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhiû

  (Meixian, Guangdong): qiu¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): qiou¹
• Min Bei (KCR): chiú
• Min Dong (BUC): chiŭ
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhiu

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ciu¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): qieu (T1)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): ciou¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiū
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄡ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciou
    • Wade–Giles: chʻiu¹
    • Yale: chyōu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiou
    • Palladius: цю (cju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰjoʊ̯⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: qiu¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: kiu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiəu⁵⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: чю (či͡u, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiou²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: cau¹
    • Yale: chāu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsau¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceo¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: tiu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: qiu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiu⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhiû
    • Hakka Romanization System: qiu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: qiu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡ɕʰi̯u²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: qiu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡ɕʰiu⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: qiou¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕʰiəu¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chiú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiu⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chiŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰieu⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhiu
    • Tâi-lô: tshiu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: chiw
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡ɕʰiu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡ɕʰiu³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡ɕʰiu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡ɕʰiu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡ɕʰiu⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ciu¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshiu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiu³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: qieu (T1)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiɜ⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ciou¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /t͡sʰiəu³³/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡ɕʰiəu³³/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 秋
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕʰiou⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕʰiou⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕʰiou²¹/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕʰiou²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡sʰiou²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡sʰiou²⁴/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕʰiou²¹/
	Xining	/t͡ɕʰiɯ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕʰiəu⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕʰiou³¹/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕʰiɤu⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/t͡ɕʰʰiəu⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/t͡ɕʰiəu⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/t͡ɕʰiəu⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/t͡ɕʰiəu⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/t͡sʰiəɯ³¹/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕʰiɯ²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕʰiəu¹¹/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕʰiəu¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕʰiəu³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡ɕʰiɤ⁵³/
	Suzhou	/t͡sʰɤ⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕʰiø³³/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕʰɤu³³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡sʰiu³¹/
	Tunxi	/t͡sʰiu¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡sʰiəu³³/
	Xiangtan	/t͡sʰiəɯ³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡ɕʰiu⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/t͡sʰiu⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/t͡sʰiu²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/t͡sʰɐu⁵³/
	Nanning	/t͡sʰɐu⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/t͡sʰɐu⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/t͡sʰiu⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/t͡sʰieu⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/t͡sʰiu⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/t͡sʰiu³³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/siu²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /t͡sʰɨu/

Rime
Character	秋
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	清 (14)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	七由切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡sʰɨu/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡sʰiu/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡sʰiəu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡sʰuw/
Li Rong	/t͡sʰiu/
Wang Li	/t͡sʰĭəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡sʰi̯ə̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qiū
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cau1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*tsʰiw/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sʰɯw/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	秋
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qiū
Middle Chinese	‹ tshjuw ›
Old Chinese	/*tsʰiw/
English	autumn; crop
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	秋
Reading #	1/1
No.	10537
Phonetic component	秋
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	秋
Old Chinese	/*sʰɯw/

Definitions

秋

1. harvest season

   麥秋／麦秋  ―  màiqiū  ―  harvest season for wheat

2. autumn; fall

   深秋  ―  shēnqiū  ―  late autumn

3. (literary) year

   千秋萬代／千秋万代  ―  qiānqiūwàndài  ―  the ages to come

   一日不見，如隔三秋 [MSC, trad.]
   一日不见，如隔三秋 [MSC, simp.]

   yī rì bù jiàn, rú gé sān qiū [Pinyin]

   a single day apart seems like three years

4. period; time

   多事之秋  ―  duōshìzhīqiū  ―  troubled period

5. autumn crops
6. a surname

   秋瑾  ―  Qiū Jǐn  ―  Qiu Jin (Chinese revolutionary)

See also

Seasons in Chinese · 四季 (sìjì, “four seasons”) (layout · text) · category
春 (chūn, “spring”)	夏 (xià, “summer”)	秋 (qiū, “fall; autumn”)	冬 (dōng, “winter”)

Compounds

Derived terms from 秋

一寸秋波 一日三秋 (yīrìsānqiū) 一雨成秋 三秋 中秋 (zhōngqiū) 中秋帖 九秋 仲秋 入秋 初秋 (chūqiū) 利析秋毫 千秋 (qiānqiū) 千秋佳城 各有千秋 (gèyǒuqiānqiū) 咬秋 商秋 多事之秋 (duōshìzhīqiū) 大秋 (dàqiū) 大秋作物 (dàqiū zuòwù) 大秋元 如隔三秋 媚如秋月 孟秋 季秋 (jìqiū) 富春秋 寒秋 小秋 左氏春秋 平分秋色 (píngfēnqiūsè) 弈秋 悲秋 摸秋 新秋 明察秋毫 (míngchá qiūháo) 春困秋乏 春秋 (chūnqiū) 春秋五霸 春秋日高 春秋榜 春秋繁露 春秋配 春秋鼎盛 (chūnqiūdǐngshèng) 春花秋月 (chūnhuāqiūyuè) 春蚓秋蛇 春露秋霜 晏子春秋 (Yànzǐ Chūnqiū) 晚秋 (wǎnqiū) 晚秋作物 (wǎnqiū zuòwù) 暗送秋波 (ànsòngqiūbō) 暮秋 有秋 望秋先零 望穿秋水 (wàngchuānqiūshuǐ) 杜秋娘 杪秋 桂秋 深秋 (shēnqiū) 溜溜秋秋 琨玉秋霜 (kūn yù qiū shuāng) 皮困秋 盈盈秋水 眼如秋水 秋事 秋令 秋凊 (chhiu-chhìn) (Min Nan) 秋分 (Qiūfēn) 秋千 秋士 秋天 (qiūtiān) 秋娘 秋季 (qiūjì) 秋官 秋思

秋意 (qiūyì) 秋成 秋扇 秋播 (qiūbō) 秋收 (qiūshōu) 秋收冬藏 秋方 秋日 秋旱 秋晡日 秋景 (qiūjǐng) 秋月 (qiūyuè) 秋月寒江 秋期 秋榜 秋毫 (qiūháo) 秋毫不犯 秋毫之末 秋水 (qiūshuǐ) 秋水仙素 (qiūshuǐxiānsù) 秋水伊人 秋汛 秋河 (qiūhé) 秋波 (qiūbō) 秋波送情 (qiūbō sòngqíng) 秋海棠 (qiūhǎitáng) 秋牡丹 秋瑾 秋眉 秋石 (qiūshí) 秋社 (qiūshè) 秋禊 秋老虎 (qiūlǎohǔ) 秋耕 秋胡 秋色 (qiūsè) 秋茶 秋草 秋草人情 秋荼 秋葵 (qiūkuí) 秋雨 (qiūyǔ) 秋霖 (qiūlín) 秋霜 秋麻 立秋 (Lìqiū) 芟秋 英烈千秋 菊秋 送秋波 (sòngqiūbō) 金秋 (jīnqiū) 防秋 一葉知秋／一叶知秋 (yīyèzhīqiū) 中秋節／中秋节 (zhōngqiūjié) 冰壺秋月／冰壶秋月 初秋圖／初秋图 剪秋羅／剪秋罗 勁秋／劲秋 千秋節／千秋节 千秋萬世／千秋万世 (qiānqiūwànshì) 千秋萬代／千秋万代 (qiānqiūwàndài) 千秋萬古／千秋万古 (qiānqiūwàngǔ) 千秋萬歲／千秋万岁 (qiānqiūwànsuì) 吳越春秋／吴越春秋 呂氏春秋／吕氏春秋 (Lǚshìchūnqiū) 壯室之秋／壮室之秋 大業千秋／大业千秋 安仁鬢秋／安仁鬓秋 廩秋／廪秋 悲秋傷春／悲秋伤春 打秋豐／打秋丰 打秋風／打秋风 (dǎ qiūfēng)

明鑑秋毫／明鉴秋毫 春來秋去／春来秋去 春去秋來／春去秋来 春生秋殺／春生秋杀 春祈秋報／春祈秋报 春秋三傳／春秋三传 (Chūnqiū Sānzhuàn) 春秋兒／春秋儿 春秋大夢／春秋大梦 (chūnqiūdàmèng) 春秋幾何／春秋几何 春秋筆削／春秋笔削 春秋筆法／春秋笔法 ( Chūnqiū bǐfǎ) 春華秋實／春华秋实 春蘭秋菊／春兰秋菊 晉陽秋／晋阳秋 晴雲秋月／晴云秋月 楚漢春秋／楚汉春秋 橫秋／横秋 歷夏經秋／历夏经秋 殘秋／残秋 漢宮秋／汉宫秋 漢宮秋月／汉宫秋月 百歲千秋／百岁千秋 皮裡春秋／皮里春秋 皮裡陽秋／皮里阳秋 (pílǐyángqiū) 秋刀魚／秋刀鱼 (qiūdāoyú) 秋分點／秋分点 (qiūfēndiǎn) 秋場／秋场 秋審／秋审 秋後算帳／秋后算帐 (qiūhòusuànzhàng) 秋扇見捐／秋扇见捐 秋月春風／秋月春风 秋毫無犯／秋毫无犯 (qiūháo wú fàn) 秋氣／秋气 秋決／秋决 秋涼／秋凉 (qiūliáng) 秋節／秋节 秋聲／秋声 秋聲賦／秋声赋 秋胡戲妻／秋胡戏妻 秋胡變文／秋胡变文 秋莊稼／秋庄稼 秋蟬／秋蝉 秋蟲／秋虫 秋試／秋试 秋闈／秋闱 秋陽／秋阳 秋顏／秋颜 秋風／秋风 (qiūfēng) 秋風團扇／秋风团扇 秋風落葉／秋风落叶 秋風辭／秋风辞 秋風過耳／秋风过耳 秋高氣爽／秋高气爽 (qiūgāoqìshuǎng) 秋高氣肅／秋高气肃 秋高馬肥／秋高马肥 秋髮／秋发 老氣橫秋／老气横秋 (lǎoqìhéngqiū) 臨去秋波／临去秋波 萬代千秋／万代千秋 (wàndàiqiānqiū) 萬古千秋／万古千秋 (wàngǔqiānqiū) 萬壽千秋／万寿千秋 萬歲千秋／万岁千秋 萬載千秋／万载千秋 (wànzǎiqiānqiū) 落葉知秋／落叶知秋 葉落歸秋／叶落归秋 葉落知秋／叶落知秋 蘭秋／兰秋 貽笑千秋／贻笑千秋 過耳秋風／过耳秋风 開秋／开秋 陽秋／阳秋 (yángqiū) 麥秋／麦秋 (màiqiū)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 秋 – see 鞦. (This character, 秋, is the simplified form of 鞦.)

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

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Japanese

Kanji

秋

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. autumn

Readings

• Go-on: しゅ (shu)^{←しゆ (syu, historical)}
• Kan-on: しゅう (shū, Jōyō)^{←しう (siu, historical)}
• Kun: あき (aki, 秋, Jōyō); とき (toki, 秋)

Compounds

Compounds

• 秋収(しゅうしゅう) (shūshū)
• 秋風(しゅうふう) (shūfū)
• 秋分(しゅうぶん) (shūbun)
• 一日(いちじつ)三秋(さんしゅう) (ichijitsu sanshū)
• 春秋(しゅんじゅう) (shunjū)
• 春夏秋冬(しゅんかしゅうとう) (shunkashūtō)
• 初秋(しょしゅう) (shoshū): beginning of autumn
• 晩秋(ばんしゅう) (banshū): ending of autumn
• 涼秋(りょうしゅう) (ryōshū)
• 秋風(あきかぜ) (akikaze)
• 春夏秋冬(はるなつあきふゆ) (harunatsuakifuyu)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
秋
あき Grade: 2
kun’yomi

⟨aki₁⟩ → */akʲi/ → /aki/

From Old Japanese.

Likely cognate with 明き (aki, “bright”), 赤 (aka, “red”), 飽きる (akiru, “to become full up”, possibly in reference to the harvest), 空く (aku, “to become empty”), 開く (aku, “to open up”). However, the exact relationship of these terms remains unclear.

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) あ​き [áꜜkì] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
• IPA^(key): [a̠kʲi]

• Audio

  (file)

• (Kyoto) あき [àkíꜜ][2]

Noun

秋(あき) • (aki) 

1. autumn, fall (season)

Synonyms

• 秋季(しゅうき) (shūki)
• 秋期(しゅうき) (shūki)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 秋山(あきやま) (akiyama): a mountain in autumn

See also

• 紅葉(こうよう) (kōyō): autumn colors, red leaves

Seasons in Japanese · 四(し)季(き) (shiki, “four seasons”) (layout · text) · category
春(はる) (haru, “spring”) 春(しゅん)季(き) (shunki, “spring”) 春(しゅん)期(き) (shunki, “spring period”)	夏(なつ) (natsu, “summer”) 夏(か)季(き) (kaki, “summer”) 夏(か)期(き) (kaki, “summer period”)	秋(あき) (aki, “fall; autumn”) 秋(しゅう)季(き) (shūki, “fall; autumn”) 秋(しゅう)期(き) (shūki, “fall period”)	冬(ふゆ) (fuyu, “winter”) 冬(とう)季(き) (tōki, “winter”) 冬(とう)期(き) (tōki, “winter period”)

References

1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
2. 2002, 京阪系アクセント辞典 (A Dictionary of Tone on Words of the Keihan-type Dialects) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Bensei, →ISBN

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Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 秋 (MC t͡sʰɨu).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	츄ᇢ (Yale: chyùw)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527	ᄀᆞᅀᆞᆯ (Yale: kòzòl)	츄 (Yale: chyù)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰu]
• Phonetic hangul: [추]

Hanja

Wikisource秋 (eumhun 가을 추 (ga'eul chu))

1. Hanja form^? of 추 (“autumn; fall”). [affix]

Compounds

Compounds

• 입추 (立秋, ipchu)
• 추분 (秋分, chubun)
• 추석 (秋夕, chuseok)
• 추수 (秋收, chusu)
• 추수 감사절 (秋收感謝節, Chusu gamsajeol)
• 추파 (秋波, chupa)
• 추파 (秋播, chupa)
• 춘추 (春秋, chunchu)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

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Okinawan

Kanji

秋

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. autumn; fall

Readings

• Kun: あち (achi, 秋)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
秋
あち Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Cognate with Japanese 秋 (aki, “autumn”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔat͡ɕi]

Noun

秋 (hiragana あち, rōmaji achi)

1. autumn; fall

References

• “あち【秋】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

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Vietnamese

Han character

秋: Hán Nôm readings: thu

1. chữ Hán form of thu (“fall, autumn”).

Derived terms

• 中秋 (Trung thu)
• 千秋 (thiên thu)
• 𠦳秋 (ngàn thu)
• 春秋 (Xuân Thu)
• 秋分 (thu phân)
• 秋水 (thu thủy/thu thuỷ)
• 秋波 (thu ba)
• 秋風 (thu phong)
• 立秋 (lập thu)