两
two (with measure word)
liǎng
What does 两 mean?
两 (liǎng) means 'two' specifically when 'two' is followed by a measure word and the noun being counted. Chinese splits the work between two number words: 二 (èr) handles math, counting aloud, ordinals (第二), dates (二月), and digits inside bigger numbers (二十); 两 handles 'two of [thing].' So 'two people' is 两个人 (liǎng ge rén), 'two books' is 两本书 (liǎng běn shū), 'two cups of tea' is 两杯茶 (liǎng bēi chá) — never 二个人.
Saying 二 in those slots sounds wrong to native ears. 两 is also the standard for 'two' in soft compounds like 两次 (twice) and 两三 (two or three). It additionally functions as a unit of weight (50 grams), but learners meet that meaning later.
Character breakdown
two (used with a measure word)
Memory hook: Think of 两 as the 'pair' two — it always shows up paired with a measure word.
Example sentences
我有两个妹妹。
Wǒ yǒu liǎng ge mèimei.
I have two younger sisters.
spoken
请给我两杯水。
Qǐng gěi wǒ liǎng bēi shuǐ.
Please give me two cups of water.
spoken, polite
我们两点见。
Wǒmen liǎng diǎn jiàn.
Let's meet at two o'clock.
spoken
他来过两次。
Tā lái guo liǎng cì.
He has been here twice.
neutral
桌子上有两本书。
Zhuōzi shàng yǒu liǎng běn shū.
There are two books on the table.
neutral
Common phrases with 两
Synonyms
二 is for the abstract number — counting 一二三, math, dates, ordinals (第二), and inside bigger numbers (二十, 一百二十). 两 is for 'two of [thing]' with a measure word. 二楼 means 'the second floor'; 两层楼 means 'two floors.'
俩 is a fused colloquial form of 两个 — it already includes the measure word, so no measure word follows: 我们俩 (the two of us), 他们俩 (the two of them). Spoken northern Mandarin.
Don't confuse 两 with
Both mean 'two,' but 二 is the cardinal number used for counting and labels (二月, 二号, 二十), while 两 is used before a measure word for 'two of [thing].' Picking the wrong one is the most common HSK 1-2 number mistake.
辆 (liàng, fourth tone) is the measure word for vehicles: 一辆车 'one car.' 两 (liǎng, third tone) is the number 'two.' They share the right-side component but mean different things.
俩 already means 'two (people)
FAQ
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