双
pair; double; (measure word for things that come in twos)
shuāng
What does 双 mean?
双 (shuāng) is the measure word for things that naturally come in matched pairs — shoes, socks, chopsticks, gloves, eyes, hands. You say 一双鞋 'a pair of shoes,' 一双筷子 'a pair of chopsticks,' 一双眼睛 'a pair of eyes.' English speakers must learn the difference between 双 and the other 'two-things' word 对 (duì): 双 is for items that work together as one functional unit (you can't really use just one chopstick); 对 is for matched but separable items (a couple, two earrings, two vases).
双 also works as an adjective meaning 'double / dual' in compounds like 双人床 (double bed) and 双手 (both hands), and as a noun for 'even number' (单 vs 双 = odd vs even). Don't confuse with 两 (liǎng), the generic 'two' used before measure words.
Character breakdown
pair; double
Memory hook: Simplified 双 is two 又 stacked side by side — literally a pair of hands. The traditional form 雙 has two 隹 (birds) for the same image.
Example sentences
我买了一双新鞋。
Wǒ mǎi le yì shuāng xīn xié.
I bought a new pair of shoes.
neutral
请给我一双筷子。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yì shuāng kuàizi.
Please give me a pair of chopsticks.
spoken
她有一双大眼睛。
Tā yǒu yì shuāng dà yǎnjing.
She has a pair of big eyes.
neutral
我们要一张双人床。
Wǒmen yào yì zhāng shuāngrén chuáng.
We'd like a double bed.
spoken
妈妈给我买了两双袜子。
Māma gěi wǒ mǎi le liǎng shuāng wàzi.
Mom bought me two pairs of socks.
spoken
Common phrases with 双
Synonyms
Don't confuse 双 with
两 means 'two' before a measure word: 两双鞋 = 'two pairs of shoes.' 双 is itself the measure word for one pair. They appear together but do different jobs.
FAQ
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