六 — Kanji Reference
六 (six): 4 strokes, JLPT N5. On: ロク. Kun: む、む-つ、むっ-つ、むい.
六
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Meaning | six |
| Strokes | 4 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) | ロク |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) | む、む-つ、むっ-つ、むい |
| Radical | 亠 (lid/top) [U+4EA0] |
Stroke Order
The stroke order for 六 follows the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The top horizontal dot (or short dash).
- Stroke 2: The horizontal line below the dot.
- Stroke 3: The left "leg" (a downward stroke to the left).
- Stroke 4: The right "leg" (a downward stroke to the right).
Note: Ensure the two legs are balanced to maintain the aesthetic of the character.
Radical Analysis
The main radical is 亠 (nabe-buta), which often represents a lid or a covering. In the case of 六, the character is an ideograph representing a house or a structure with a roof (the top part) and two pillars or legs (the bottom part). Ancient forms suggest it was a pictograph of a house, which later became associated with the number six.
Mnemonic
Imagine a person standing under a roof with their legs spread wide, trying to balance six heavy boxes. The top dot and line are the roof, and the two bottom strokes are the legs of the person holding the load.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ロク (Roku)
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 六月 | ろくがつ | rokugatsu | June |
| 六人 | ろくにん | rokunin | six people |
| 六回 | ろっかい | rokkai | six times |
| 六分 | ろっぷん | roppun | six minutes |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
む・むつ (Mu / Mutsu)
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 六つ | むっつ | muttsu | six (general items) |
| 六日 | むいか | muika | the 6th day of the month |
JLPT N5 Words Using 六
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 六 | ろく | roku | six | N5 |
| 六つ | むっつ | muttsu | six things | N5 |
| 六日 | むいか | muika | 6th day | N5 |
| 六月 | ろくがつ | rokugatsu | June | N5 |
| 六人 | ろくにん | rokunin | six people | N5 |
| 六百 | ろっぴゃく | roppyaku | six hundred | N5 |
| 六千 | ろくせん | rokusen | six thousand | N5 |
| 六万 | ろくまん | rokuman | sixty thousand | N5 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 六時に起きます。 | ろくじにおきます。 | Roku-ji ni okimasu. | I wake up at six o'clock. |
| 部屋に六人います。 | へやにろくにんいます。 | Heya ni rokunin imasu. | There are six people in the room. |
| 今日は六月六日です。 | きょうはろくがつむいかです。 | Kyou wa rokugatsu muika desu. | Today is June 6th. |
| りんごを六つ買いました。 | りんごをむっつかいました。 | Ringo o muttsu kaimashita. | I bought six apples. |
| 六百円かかります。 | ろっぴゃくえんかかります。 | Roppyaku-en kakarimasu. | It costs six hundred yen. |
| 六回練習しました。 | ろっかいれんしゅうしました。 | Rokkai renshuu shimashita. | I practiced six times. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | How to distinguish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 六 | ろく | six | Has a top dot and horizontal bar. |
| 大 | だい | big | The top is a horizontal line; no dot. |
| 立 | たつ | stand | The top is a dot and horizontal line, but the bottom is a wider base. |
Usage Frequency Note
六 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It is used daily in dates (6th of the month), telling time, counting people, and currency. It is highly frequent in both formal writing and casual speech. Learners should master the irregular readings for dates (muika) and counters (rokkai/roppun/roppyaku) early on, as these phonetic changes are common with the number six.