Level 1 · Beginner
Two: 二 vs 两
两 + MW + Noun — 二 in numbers · Traditional: 兩 + MW + Noun — 二 in numbers
Chinese has two words for "two". 两 (liǎng) is for counting THINGS — it's the form used before measure words: 两个人 "two people", 两杯茶 "two cups of tea", and also times: 两点 "two o'clock".
二 (èr) is the digit: counting (一、二、三), math, and inside bigger numbers like 十二 "twelve" and 二十 "twenty". Ordinals also use 二: 第二 "second". Rule of thumb: measure word after it → 两; everywhere else → 二. Before the big round units 百, 千, and 万, use 两 as well: 两百, 两千, 两万 (二百 is also heard, but 两千 and 两万 are the norm).
Examples
我有两个妹妹。
我有兩個妹妹。
wǒ yǒu liǎng gè mèi mei
I have two younger sisters.
现在两点了。
現在兩點了。
xiàn zài liǎng diǎn le
It's two o'clock now.
我妹妹今年十二岁。
我妹妹今年十二歲。
wǒ mèi mei jīn nián shí èr suì
My little sister is twelve this year.
我们班有二十个学生。
我們班有二十個學生。
wǒ men bān yǒu èr shí gè xué sheng
Our class has twenty students.
Common mistakes
✗ 现在二点。
✓ 现在两点。
点 is a measure word, so "two o'clock" is 两点, never 二点.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like What Time Is It?, At the Pharmacy (Part 1), Ordering at a Restaurant (Part 1) inside the Literate Chinese app.
