The Kanji: 六 (Mu-/Roku) - The "Six" Kanji
1. Meaning and Usage
Core Meaning: Six
Readings:
Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): む (mu-), む.つ (mu.tsu), むい (mui)
On'yomi (Chinese reading): ロク (roku)
Common Words and Compounds:
六つ (むっつ / muttsu) - Six things
六月 (ろくがつ / rokugatsu) - June (The sixth month)
六人 (ろくにん / rokunin) - Six people
六角形 (ろっかくけい / rokkakukei) - Hexagon (Six-sided shape)
十六 (じゅうろく / jūroku) - Sixteen
2. Writing and Stroke Order: The Roof and Base
The correct kanji writing for "六" introduces a distinctive structure that differs significantly from previous numerical kanji. Its stroke order emphasizes top-to-bottom construction.
Stroke Order:
Stroke 1: A right dot, starting from the top.
Stroke 2: A long horizontal stroke from left to right, forming the "roof" of the character.
Stroke 3: A left-falling stroke from the center, sweeping down to the left.
Stroke 4: A right-falling stroke from the same starting point, crossing the left-falling stroke and sweeping down to the right.
Significance of Correct Kanji Writing:
Symmetry and Balance: The two diagonal strokes (3 and 4) must be symmetrical and create a stable, wide base. The character should resemble a roof supported by two pillars.
Proportions: The top horizontal stroke (2) should be wide enough to comfortably "cover" the base formed by the diagonal strokes.
Radical Recognition: While "六" stands alone, its structure shares similarities with other kanji that use the "roof" radical (宀), helping learners recognize common patterns.
3. Historical Origin and Evolution
The history of "六" reveals an interesting phonetic adaptation rather than a pictorial representation of the number six.
Oracle Bone Script (甲骨文字):
The earliest form resembled a simple hut or shelter, with a roof and supporting walls. This was actually the original form of a character meaning "dwelling place."
Bronze Script (金文) & Seal Script (篆書):
The form became more stylized, maintaining the basic roof-and-walls structure but becoming more abstract and regularized.
Modern Form (楷書):
The modern "六" is a clean abstraction where the original "hut" meaning has been completely lost. Through the rebus principle (using an existing character to represent a word that sounds similar), this character was borrowed to represent the number six because the ancient pronunciation of "hut" was similar to the word for "six."
Cultural Connection:
In Japanese culture, the number six (六) has several interesting associations:
Directional Significance: Represents the 六方 (roppō) or Six Directions: North, South, East, West, Up, and Down.
Buddhist Context: Appears in concepts like the 六道 (rokudō) or Six Realms of Existence in Buddhist cosmology.
Lucky Number: While not as prominently lucky as seven or eight, six is generally considered a stable, harmonious number.
Wordplay: The reading "roku" appears in positive compounds like 六曜 (rokuyō), the six-day calendar cycle used for fortune-telling in Japan.
The character's transformation from meaning "hut" to representing the number six demonstrates the flexible, phonetic nature of kanji development.
Summary
The kanji "六" represents an fascinating case of phonetic borrowing in the evolution of written Japanese. What began as a pictogram of a shelter became the symbol for the number six through sound association. Mastering its stroke order teaches the importance of symmetrical balance and roof-and-base structures in Japanese kanji writing. When you learn how to write kanji like "六," you're not just learning a number - you're learning about the ingenious ways that written language adapts and evolves, where a character can completely transform its meaning while maintaining its essential form across millennia.