六
liù · HSK 1
six
6️⃣ liù sounds like 'Leo' — Leo the lion has six letters
六 originally depicted a simple hut or shelter; the meaning 'six' is a phonetic loan. Pronounced liù (falling tone), close to the English name Leo, which contains six characters when written as 'L-E-O-(s-i-x)' — a verbal hook tying sound to number.
六 — top stroke 亠 + 八 (eight/split)
Originally a pictograph, possibly depicting a hut or shelter, but its early meaning was lost. It was borrowed phonetically to write the number 'six'. The modern form shows a top mark 亠 over 八, but this structure is not semantic — it's purely a loan character for the numeral.