Meaning
both; two; ounce; some; a few; tael
Chinese: 数字二，用于数量。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “liang” becomes a different word in each tone. 两 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 两边liǎng biāneither side; both sides
- 两岸liǎng ànbilateral; both shores; both sides; both coasts
- 两侧liǎng cètwo sides; both sides
- 两手liǎng shǒuone's two hands; two prongs (of a strategy); both aspects, eventualities etc; skills
- 一举两得yī jǔ liǎng délit. one action, two gains (idiom); fig. two birds with one stone
More Words
Example Sentence
我有两个妹妹。Wǒ yǒu liǎng ge mèi mei.I have two younger sisters.
我WǒI有yǒuto have两liǎngtwo个ge(measure word)妹妹mèi meiyounger sister。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
Simplified from 兩, a pictograph of a balanced pair (a yoke / twin weights). It means ‘two (of a pair, used with measure words: 两个), both; a tael (unit of weight)’.
A way to remember it
Use 两 (not 二) before a measure word: 两个, 两天.