"Èr" "" and "liǎng" ""

In Chinese, there are two words for "two." They are (èr) and (liǎng), and each is used in different circumstances.

Contents

Uses of (èr)

is used in numbers

The digit "2" is (èr). This is used generally in numbers, when counting to ten, giving out a phone number, and so on.

Unlike (liǎng), (èr) is not used to say there are "two" of something, and does not generally occur with measure words by itself. Numbers like 十二 (12) (shí-èr) and 二十二 (22) (èrshí-èr) end with a "2" and can still be combined with measure words. In those cases, (liǎng) is not needed.

Examples

Here are some common examples of (èr) in action:


Uses of (liǎng)

is used with measure words

When specifying quantities (and using measure words to do it), (liǎng) is used. This is when you want to say "two of something" or "both."

Here are some common examples of (liǎng) in action:

Examples

Sources and further reading