The Differences between “二” and “两” in Chinese and how to use them

“两” (liǎng) and “二” (èr) have similar meanings, but they are used differently in common practice.

1. “二” is used exclusively for ordinal numbers, such as “Grade Two” (二年级) or “February Second” (二月份).

2. “两” can be used for cardinal numbers, but it’s generally used with specific measurements or quantities. For instance, “twenty” (二十) or “two thousand” (两千). However, it’s not always interchangeable. It’s preferred to use “两” before most measure words, rather than “二.” For example, “两本书” (liǎng běn shū) meaning “two books,” not “二本书” (èr běn shū).

3. Both “两” and “二” can be used before units of measurement, like “两尺布” (liǎng chǐ bù) or “二尺布” (èr chǐ bù) for “two feet of cloth.”

4. When “二” is used in conjunction with “三” (èr sān), and the number does not exceed ten, it’s preferable to use “两” rather than “二.” For example, “两三个” (liǎng sān gè) instead of “二三个” (èr sān gè). When the number exceeds twenty, “二” is preferred. For instance, “二三十万” (èr sān shí wàn).

5. “两” is mainly used for counting and emphasizes a specific quantity. For example, in “两人” (liǎng rén), the focus is on “two,” indicating two individuals, not one or three. On the other hand, “二” tends to emphasize the entity or the attribute of the object. In “二人” (èr rén), the focus is on “person,” not dog or cat, or it might highlight two individuals doing something together, as opposed to one person going or one following (with exceptions). This distinction originated in the official language of the Song Dynasty and became established during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, forming a grammatical convention.

Don’t miss out on expanding your knowledge – visit our Chinese learning resource page!

Immerse yourself in an unforgettable learning experience! – Book a Trial Chinese Learning Class