二 èr — two

Meanings

1. 1

   two

   The number 2 when counting, giving a date or reading out a figure: 二月, 十二, 二十. Before a measure word Chinese switches to 两 — 两个人, not 二个人.

   numeral

Example sentences

• 我有二十块钱。/我有二十塊錢。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) èrshí (fourth tone, falling) kuài (fourth tone, falling) qián. (second tone, rising)···

  I have twenty yuan.

• 二月的天气很冷。/二月的天氣很冷。Èr (neutral tone) yuè (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) tiānqì (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) lěng. (third tone, dipping)···

  The weather in February is cold.

Common mistakes

• Not quite二个人

  Correct两个人

  Counting things needs 两, not 二. 二 is for the digit itself — in dates, in prices read aloud, and inside larger numbers such as 二十.

Similar words