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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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  <h1>"<span class="pinyinst">Èr</span>" "<span class="hanzist">二</span>" and "<span class="pinyinst">liǎng</span>" "<span class="hanzist">两</span>"</h1>

  <p>In Chinese, there are two words for "two." They are <span class="hanzi">二</span> (<span class="pinyin">èr</span>) and <span class="hanzi">两</span> (<span class="pinyin">liǎng</span>), and each is used in different circumstances.</p>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_281">Contents</h2>

  <div class="contents">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#sigil_toc_id_282"> 1 Uses of <span class="hanzi">二</span> (èr)</a> 

      <ul>
        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#sigil_toc_id_283"> 1.1 <span class="hanzi">二</span> is used in numbers</a></li>

        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#sigil_toc_id_284"> 1.2 Examples</a></li>
      </ul></li>

      <li><a href="#sigil_toc_id_285"> 2 Uses of <span class="hanzi">两</span> (liǎng)</a> 

      <ul>
        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#sigil_toc_id_286"> 2.1 <span class="hanzi">两</span> is used with measure words</a></li>

        <li><a href="#sigil_toc_id_287"> 2.2 Examples</a></li>
      </ul></li>

      <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#sigil_toc_id_288"> 3 Sources and further reading</a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_282"><span id="Uses_of_.E4.BA.8C_.28.C3.A8r.29">Uses of <span class="hanzist">二</span> (<span class="pinyinst">èr</span>)</span></h2>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_283"><span id=".E4.BA.8C_is_used_in_numbers"><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal;">二</span> is used in numbers</span></h3>

  <p>The digit "2" is <span class="hanzi">二</span> (<span class="pinyin">èr</span>). This is used generally in numbers, when counting to ten, giving out a phone number, and so on.</p>

  <p>Unlike <span class="hanzi">两</span> (<span class="pinyin">liǎng</span>), <span class="hanzi">二</span> (<span class="pinyin">èr</span>) is not used to say there are "two" of something, and does not generally occur with <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Measure_words" title="Measure words" class="mw-redirect">measure words</a> by itself. Numbers like <span class="hanzi">十二</span> (12) (<span class="pinyin">shí-èr</span>) and <span class="hanzi">二十二</span> (22) (<span class="pinyin">èrshí-èr</span>) end with a "2" and can still be combined with measure words. In those cases, <span class="hanzi">两</span> (<span class="pinyin">liǎng</span>) is not needed.</p>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_284">Examples</h3>

  <p>Here are some common examples of <span class="hanzi">二</span> (<span class="pinyin">èr</span>) in action:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">第 二</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">dì- èr </span><br/> #2; second</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">第 二 个</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">dì- èr gè</span><br/> the second one</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">第 二 次</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">dì- èr cì</span><br/> the second time</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 月</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Èr yuè</span><br/> February (the second month)</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 号</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">èr hào</span> <br/>#2; the second (of the month)</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 号 线</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">èr hào xiàn</span><br/> Line 2 (of the metro)</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 楼</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">èr lóu</span> <br/>second floor</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 十</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">èr shí</span><br/> 20</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 十 块 钱</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">èr shí kuài qián</span><br/> 20 RMB</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">二 十 二 个 人</span> <span class="pinyin">èr shí- èr ge rén</span><br/> twenty-two people</li>
    </ul>

    <p><br/></p>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_285"><span id="Uses_of_.E4.B8.A4_.28li.C7.8Eng.29">Uses of <span class="hanzist">两</span> (<span class="pinyinst">liǎng</span>)</span></h2>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_286"><span id=".E4.B8.A4_is_used_with_measure_words"><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal;">两</span> is used with measure words</span></h3>

  <p>When specifying quantities (and using <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Measure_word" title="Measure word">measure words</a> to do it), <span class="hanzi">两</span> (<span class="pinyin">liǎng</span>) is used. This is when you want to say "two of something" or "both."</p>

  <p>Here are some common examples of <span class="hanzi">两</span> (<span class="pinyin">liǎng</span>) in action:</p>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_287"><span id="Examples_2">Examples</span></h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">两 个 小时</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng ge xiǎoshí</span><br/> two hours</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 点</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng diǎn</span> <br/>2 o'clock</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 天</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng tiān</span><br/> two days</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 个 星期</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng ge xīngqī</span><br/> two weeks</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 个 月</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">liǎng ge yuè</span><br/> two months</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 年</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">liǎng nián</span> <br/>two years</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 次</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng cì</span><br/> two times / twice</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 块 钱</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng kuài qián</span><br/> 2 kuai / 2 RMB</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 百</span> note: <span class="hanzi">二百</span> (<span class="pinyin">èrbǎi</span>) is also acceptable.<br/><span class="pinyin"> èr bǎi</span><br/> 200</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 千</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">liǎng qiān</span><br/> 2,000</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 两 个 都 要 。</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ liǎng ge dōu yào.</span> <br/>I want both of them.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_288">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <ul>
    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 16-7)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 53)</li>

    <li>Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide(p. 28)</li>
  </ul>
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