六 meaning and stroke order
Six; 6
How to write 六, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 六
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- six
- 6
- used in place names
How 六 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 八 (eight), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 六
六 is built from 亠 (a lid on top) over 八 (bā, eight). Picture a lid sitting on two spreading legs, and remember that 六 (liù) comes just before 八 when you count.
六 (liù) is the everyday word for the number six and appears in larger numbers like 十六 (shíliù, sixteen) and 六十 (liùshí, sixty). It also shows up in set phrases such as 五颜六色 (wǔyán-liùsè, colorful). Example: 我六点起床。(Wǒ liù diǎn qǐchuáng.) I get up at six o'clock.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 六 like 文 (wén) or 亣, but 六 has a dot and a flat line on top with two short separate strokes below, not crossing ones. Also keep the fourth tone: liù falls sharply, while 九 (jiǔ, nine) is third tone.
Common words with 六
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
六 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 六
Learning 六 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 六
How many strokes are in 六?
六 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 六 mean?
六 (liù) means six; 6. A common word with it is 五颜六色 (wǔyán-liùsè), meaning "multicolored; every color under the sun".
How do you pronounce 六?
六 is pronounced liù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 六?
The radical of 六 is 八, which carries the idea of "eight". Dictionaries list 六 under this radical.
Is 六 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 六 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When is 六 pronounced lù instead of liù?
The reading lù is only used in a few place names, such as 六安 (Lù'ān) in Anhui and 六合 (Lùhé) in Nanjing. In all ordinary counting and words, say liù.
Why is 六 considered a lucky number in Chinese?
六 sounds like 溜 (liū, smooth), so people link it to things going smoothly. That is why you often see 666 online meaning something like well done or awesome, and the phrase 六六大顺 (liùliù dà shùn) wishes everything goes well.