九九六

Chinese

		nine	nine	six
simp. and trad. (九九六)		九	九	六
alternative forms		996

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiǔjiǔliù

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄡˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gau² gau² luk⁶
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): gao² gao² lag⁸

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiǔjiǔliù [Phonetic: jiújiǔliù]
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiǒujiǒuliòu
    • Wade–Giles: chiu³-chiu³-liu⁴
    • Yale: jyǒu-jyǒu-lyòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jeoujeouliow
    • Palladius: цзюцзюлю (czjuczjulju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gau² gau² luk⁶
    • Yale: gáu gáu luhk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gau² gau² luk⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: geo² geo² lug⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐu̯³⁵ kɐu̯³⁵ lʊk̚²/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gao² gao² lag⁸
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: káu káu la̍k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kau⁵²⁻³⁵ kau⁵²⁻³⁵ lak̚⁴/

Noun

九九六

1. (neologism, slang) (～工作制) 9am-to-9pm workday and six-day workweek
   • 2024, 察客, “下午察：從“996”到“896””, in Lianhe Zaobao‎^[1]:

     沒想到，過了五年，996工作制不僅沒有消失，甚至還變本加厲，演變成“896”（朝八晚九每週工作六天）。 [MSC, trad.]
     没想到，过了五年，996工作制不仅没有消失，甚至还变本加厉，演变成“896”（朝八晚九每周工作六天）。 [MSC, simp.]

     Méixiǎngdào, guò le wǔ nián, 996 gōngzuòzhì bùjǐn méiyǒu xiāoshī, shènzhì hái biànběnjiālì, yǎnbiàn chéng “896” (cháo bā wǎn jiǔ měizhōu gōngzuò liù tiān). [Pinyin]

     Shockingly, after five years, the 996 work culture not only failed to disappear, it turned into something worse, “896” (8am to 9pm, 6 days a week).

Usage notes

More commonly written as 996.

See also

• 過勞死／过劳死 (guòláosǐ)
• Chinese overtime (US, idiomatic)