How to Write 六 (liù) — Meaning “Six”

Imagine a person with a small hat (the top dot) and outstretched arms (the horizontal line), standing on two legs shaped like a wide ‘V’ (the bottom strokes). This person looks like the number 6 when you think of six legs, even though it only has two!

The stroke order is: 1. dot (top), 2. horizontal line, 3. left-falling stroke, 4. right-falling stroke. A common mistake is making the bottom two strokes too close together or curved—keep them straight and spread wide like a tent.

八 (eight) has only two strokes—a left-falling and a right-falling—with nothing on top. 公 (public) has the 八 shape on top and a small triangle-like shape below. 六 has its own top dot and horizontal line, making it unique.

六 is used for the number six in dates, times, and quantities, like 六月 (June), 六个 (six items), and 六点 (six o’clock). In Chinese culture, six is considered lucky because it sounds like the word for 'smooth' (溜), and people often say 六六大顺 for 'everything goes smoothly'.

Common words containing 六 include: 六月 (liù yuè) — June; 六个 (liù gè) — Six (items); 六点 (liù diǎn) — Six o'clock.