两

liǎng

Pinyin
liǎng
Pinyin (Plain)
liang
Tone
3
Strokes
7
Radical
一
Readings
liǎngliangTone: 3two; both; some; a few; tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old)Order: 0Primary
Stroke Order Code
Speed
Stroke Order Data
["M 583 687 Q 593 690 741 705 Q 753 704 764 718 Q 765 731 740 744 Q 701 768 618 745 Q 507 721 311 696 Q 292 695 274 692 Q 241 689 266 669 Q 303 639 328 644 Q 329 645 356 649 L 394 656 Q 458 669 537 680 L 583 687 Z", "M 243 473 Q 234 491 186 504 Q 176 505 170 497 Q 166 491 174 480 Q 219 345 175 167 Q 163 155 169 116 Q 169 115 170 113 Q 180 79 192 65 Q 204 50 214 65 Q 242 99 243 266 Q 243 374 250 434 C 253 462 253 462 243 473 Z", "M 602 487 Q 659 491 745 497 Q 761 497 766 489 Q 776 482 777 439 Q 787 258 767 153 Q 758 111 723 115 Q 677 125 633 132 Q 617 136 617 129 Q 617 122 630 109 Q 724 43 750 8 Q 760 -8 772 -6 Q 788 -3 801 25 Q 835 88 846 279 Q 849 457 863 481 Q 882 505 867 510 Q 851 528 809 545 Q 784 561 756 550 Q 723 540 641 532 Q 625 531 608 528 L 550 522 Q 471 515 413 503 L 363 494 Q 302 484 243 473 C 213 468 221 426 250 434 Q 292 449 352 456 Q 353 457 357 456 L 405 463 Q 481 476 546 483 L 602 487 Z", "M 356 649 Q 377 628 363 494 L 357 456 Q 339 366 278 263 Q 274 257 272 252 Q 269 242 278 245 Q 306 251 361 342 Q 362 345 364 347 L 374 369 Q 389 403 400 443 Q 401 453 405 463 L 413 503 Q 417 527 420 549 Q 421 588 429 609 Q 436 622 430 633 Q 417 646 394 656 C 367 669 341 675 356 649 Z", "M 364 347 Q 368 343 376 336 Q 446 270 454 268 Q 461 268 466 277 Q 470 287 465 307 Q 458 337 375 369 L 374 369 C 345 378 342 368 364 347 Z", "M 574 375 Q 595 453 602 487 L 608 528 Q 614 613 622 634 Q 629 647 623 661 Q 608 676 583 687 C 556 700 524 707 537 680 Q 537 679 539 676 Q 560 640 550 522 L 546 483 Q 545 477 545 470 Q 527 347 442 198 Q 438 192 436 186 Q 433 176 444 177 Q 469 181 532 278 Q 541 296 551 315 Q 558 331 564 348 L 574 375 Z", "M 564 348 Q 612 305 669 241 Q 684 222 698 218 Q 705 217 713 226 Q 723 239 713 278 Q 704 323 574 375 C 546 386 542 368 564 348 Z"]
Meaning
The Chinese character “两” mainly means the number “two,” especially when counting things (like 两个人 = two people). It can also be a measure word for weight in Chinese (1 两 ≈ 50 grams in modern usage), though beginners mostly meet it as “two.”
Metadata
Locale: en
Cached At: 3/24/2026, 7:18:01 PM

Usage

The character "两" (simplified; traditional: 兩) is most commonly learned as the number “two” in everyday counting and measure words, especially in spoken Mandarin. Learners quickly meet it in phrases like 两个人 (two people), 两本书 (two books), and 两天 (two days). It often feels more natural than using 二 before measure words in conversation, particularly for quantities of people, objects, and time. Many textbooks highlight it early on as “another way to say two,” with the rough rule: use 两 + measure word (like 个, 本, 只) when counting things, and use 二 mainly in numbers (phone numbers, room numbers, math, dates, etc.). "两" also appears inside many common words and set phrases, so learners soon recognize it beyond simple counting. Examples include 两边 (both sides), 两次 (two times), 两样东西 (two kinds of things), and 两国 / 两地 (two countries / two places). In older or more formal vocabulary, "两" can mean a traditional Chinese unit of weight (liǎng), still seen in contexts like 中药 (traditional Chinese medicine) prescriptions, but for most modern learners, this is secondary. In everyday study materials, dictionaries, and courses, the emphasis is overwhelmingly on its use as “two” before measure words and in the sense of “both” or “two of something.”

Handwriting Notes

两 in handwriting usually looks more compact and rounded than in printed fonts. The top part, which in print looks like a horizontal bar with two short downstrokes, is often simplified into a gently curved or slightly slanted shape, and the inner horizontal strokes may be shorter or merge visually. The lower part tends to be wider, with the enclosing strokes forming more of a soft “box” and the short inner strokes sometimes written lighter or closer together, giving the whole character a somewhat “stacked” feel. Because people write at different speeds and sizes, you’ll see variation in how straight or curved the horizontals are, how much the top overhangs the bottom, and how clearly separated the inside strokes look; in fast handwriting some details are reduced, and the character can appear more like a fluid block than a rigid, segmented form. Modern AI handwriting recognition systems are trained on many such handwritten variants so they can reliably recognize 两 across different personal styles.

Description

两 is a simplified Chinese character meaning “two” and is often used with measure words (e.g., 两个人 “two people,” 两本书 “two books”). It is also a common surname in Chinese. In some contexts, it can refer to the traditional weight unit “liǎng,” though that is more often written as 兩 in traditional characters.

Common Words

  • 两个人liǎng ge réntwo people
  • 两本书liǎng běn shūtwo books
  • 两点liǎng diǎntwo o'clock
  • 两边liǎng biānboth sides; two sides
  • 两年liǎng niántwo years
  • 两次liǎng cìtwo times; twice
  • 两种liǎng zhǒngtwo kinds; two types
  • 两块钱liǎng kuài qiántwo yuan (RMB)
  • 两千liǎng qiāntwo thousand
  • 两百liǎng bǎitwo hundred
  • 两倍liǎng bèidouble; twofold
  • 两岸liǎng ànthe two sides of the Taiwan Strait; both shores
  • 两周liǎng zhōutwo weeks
  • 两句liǎng jùtwo sentences; a few words
  • 两手liǎng shǒuboth hands
  • 两腿liǎng tuǐboth legs
  • 两面liǎng miàntwo sides; both sides; double-sided
  • 两难liǎng nándilemma; difficult either way
  • 两口子liǎng kǒuzihusband and wife; married couple (colloquial)
  • 两回事liǎng huí shìtwo different things; not the same matter
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