liǎng · èr
Two in Chinese: 两 or 二
Two is the only number with two words. 二 èr is the digit; 两 liǎng is "two of" something. The line between them is mostly clear, with one stretch, before 百, 千 and 万, where both are right.
Which two, where
| Where | Use | Example | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counting aloud The digit itself is èr. | 二 | 一、二、三 | yī, èr, sān |
| Twelve, twenty, twenty-two Tens and units take 二. | 二 | 十二 · 二十 · 二十二 | shí'èr · èrshí · èrshí'èr |
| Before a measure word "Two of" something. | 两 | 两个人 · 两本书 | liǎng gè rén · liǎng běn shū |
| Clock time Two o’clock; 点 counts like a measure word. | 两 | 两点 | liǎng diǎn |
| Ordinals, months, floors Second, February, second floor. | 二 | 第二 · 二月 · 二楼 | dì-èr · èryuè · èr lóu |
| Decimals and fractions 0.2 and two thirds. | 二 | 零点二 · 三分之二 | líng diǎn èr · sān fēn zhī èr |
| Opening 百, 千, 万 Both are standard; 两 is the more common. | 两 (二 also correct) | 两百 · 两千 · 两万 | liǎngbǎi · liǎngqiān · liǎngwàn |
| 百, 千 inside a number The national standard writes 七万二千. | 二 (两 also heard) | 一千二百 · 三万二千 | yīqiān èrbǎi · sānwàn èrqiān |
The short version
- If you are counting, numbering or putting 2 in the tens or units, it is 二.
- If you mean "two of" something, with a measure word after it, it is 两.
- At the head of a hundred, thousand or ten thousand, 两 is usual and 二 is also standard.
Before 百, 千 and 万: why both are right
Here the sources do not pick one. Wikipedia's survey of Chinese numerals notes that 2,222 can be read 二千二百二十二, 两千二百二十二 or even 两千两百二十二, and that usage varies from speaker to speaker. The national standard on numerals in print, GB/T 15835-2011, uses both in its own examples: 共二百三十五位同学 (235 classmates) and 市场售价两千零五十元 (a price of 2,050 yuan). The pinyin standard, GB/T 16159-2012, writes a 2 inside a number as 二: 七万二千三百五十六.
This site makes one choice and states it. Sheets print 两 where a 2 opens the number before 百, 千 or 万, and 二 everywhere else. The answer key lists the other forms beside the printed one, because a pupil who writes 二百 has not made a mistake.
| Number | Printed | Also correct |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | 两百 | 二百 |
| 250 | 两百五十 | 二百五十 · 二百五 · 两百五 |
| 2,000 | 两千 | 二千 |
| 1,200 | 一千二百 | 一千二 · 一千两百 |
| 22,000 | 两万二千 | 二万二千 · 二万二 · 两万二 · 二万两千 · 两万两千 |
The “also correct” column includes short spoken forms such as 两百五. One of them has a second life: 二百五 is also slang for a fool, which the number slang page explains.
Questions from learners and teachers
Is 200 两百 or 二百?
Both are correct. 两百 is more common in everyday Mandarin, and it is what this site prints; 二百 is also standard and appears in official texts (the national standard on numerals has 二百三十五 in one of its examples). A key should accept either.
Why is 20 二十 and not 两十?
Because 两 does not go before 十. Twenty is 二十, and every number from 20 to 29 starts 二十. The same holds for 12 (十二) and 22 (二十二): a 2 in the tens or the units is 二.
Do I say 两个 or 二个 for "two of something"?
两个 liǎng gè. Before a measure word, two is 两: 两个人 (two people), 两本书 (two books), 两次 (twice). 二个 is not used in standard Mandarin.
Is "second" 第二 or 第两?
第二 dì-èr. Ordinals, like counting, use 二: 第二天 (the second day), 二楼 (the second floor), 二月 (February).