In Chinese internet slang and gaming culture, 666 (六六六 liù liù liù) primarily means "awesome," "skilled," "impressive," or "smooth."
Think of it as the equivalent of typing "wow," "sick plays," "god-tier," or "props" in English. It's a strong expression of praise and admiration.
The Origin and "Why 6?"
The meaning stems from a phonetic and cultural pun.
1. Phonetic Connection: In Mandarin, the word for "six" is 六 (liù). This sounds very similar to the word for "slick," "smooth," or "skillful" – 溜 (liū or liù, depending on tone and context).
- "玩得很溜 (wán de hěn liù)" means "to play (a game) very skillfully/smoothly."
- "溜了溜了 (liù le liù le)" is a common phrase meaning "I'm outta here / I'm making a smooth exit."
By typing 666, you're essentially typing a homophone for "溜!溜!溜!", which emphatically means "Skilled! Smooth! Awesome!"
2. Cultural Reinforcement: The number 6 itself is considered lucky and prosperous in Chinese culture (unlike its negative biblical association in the West). Something going "smoothly" is often described as "顺溜 (shùn liu)." This positive cultural association of the number 6 reinforces the slang's meaning.