双雙 shuāng — pair (classifier for things that come in twos)
shuāng (first tone, high and level)shuang1
Traditional: 雙
pair (classifier for things that come in twos)
HSK 3· HSK 1–4 (classic)Level 3· Three-band, nine-level standardmeasure
Meanings
pair (classifier for things that come in twos)
Counts two things that belong together by nature: 一双筷子, 一双眼睛, 一双手. Where the pair is a single garment — trousers, a skirt — Chinese uses 条 and treats it as one thing, which is where English "a pair of trousers" leads a learner astray.
measure
Example sentences
- 请给我一双筷子。請給我一雙筷子。Qǐng (third tone, dipping) gěi (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) shuāng (first tone, high and level) kuàizi. (fourth tone, falling)···
Please give me a pair of chopsticks.
- 她有一双很漂亮的眼睛。她有一雙很漂亮的眼睛。Tā (first tone, high and level) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) shuāng (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) piàoliang (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) yǎnjing. (third tone, dipping)···
She has a lovely pair of eyes.
Common mistakes
Not quite我买了两个筷子。
Correct我买了一双筷子。
Chopsticks are useless singly, so Chinese counts them by the pair. 两个筷子 describes two loose sticks; 一双筷子 is what you eat with.