六
liù/li̯oʊ̯⁵¹/
The English number six is translated into Chinese as 六 (liù). If unsure, use 六.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 六 | liù | /li̯oʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /lu⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 六 | la̍k, lio̍k | /lak̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /liɔk̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) |
Hokkien |
The word is used to represent the cardinal number six or the digit six.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, the word for six is лю. In Hokkien, the number is expressed as 六.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
For the Hokkien form 六, the pronunciation is /li̯oʊ̯⁵¹/ (romanized as la̍k or lio̍k).
Did you know?
- In modern internet slang, repeating 六 as 666 is used to praise someone for an impressive or smooth move, similar to saying 'cool' or 'pro'.
- The character 六 may have originated as a pictogram representing a 'shed', though its modern use as a number is now entirely abstract.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the 'six arts' 六藝 refers to a specific set of skills, including archery and calligraphy, that a gentleman was expected to master.
Examples in context
- 他们差六岁。The difference in their ages is six years.The sentence shows how to use 六 when talking about a difference in ages.Tatoeba #519938 by GlossaMatik, translation #305284 by CM
- 差不多六点了。It's almost six o'clock.This example demonstrates the use of 六 when referring to the time of day.Tatoeba #609853 by CLARET, translation #41220 by CK
- 六除以二得三。Six divided by two is three.The sentence illustrates a mathematical context using 六.Tatoeba #713154 by egg0073, translation #713155 by CM
- 六个苹果 (Liù gè píngguǒ)Six apples
- 六月六日 (Liù yuè liù rì)The 6th of June
- 我有六只猫 (Wǒ yǒu liù zhī māo)I have six cats
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are counting apples in a basket.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这里有六个苹果。Zhèlǐ yǒu liù gè píngguǒ.There are six apples here.
- 梓涵 Zihan真的吗？我数数。Zhēn de ma? Wǒ shǔ shǔ.Really? Let me count.
- 梓涵 Zihan对，真的是六个。Duì, zhēn de shì liù gè.Yes, it really is six.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那足够我们吃了。Nà zúgòu wǒmen chī le.That's enough for us to eat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “six” translations and entries 六, 六, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 六, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
