✌️ 二 èr vs 两 liǎng – What’s the Difference?

Wait… don’t both mean “two”?

Yes — but in Chinese, they’re not used the same way! 😵‍💫

Both 二 èr and 两 liǎng mean “2”, but they appear in different situations. 

Many learners mix them up — especially before measure words, time, or money. Let’s break it down clearly 👇

🔍  Breakdown

🔸 二 (èr) – the number “2”

• Used when counting, or saying numbers like:

• 2 (二 èr)

• 20 (二十 èr shí)

• 200 (二百 èr bǎi)

• 2024 (二〇二四 èr líng èr sì)

• Appears in phone numbers, addresses, math, etc.

• Used in ordinal numbers

• ✅ Think of it like “two” on a list or chart

📌 Examples:

• 二，三，四 – èr, sān, sì → 2, 3, 4

• 二楼 – èr lóu → 2nd floor

• 二〇二四年 – èr líng èr sì nián → year 2024

• 第二 - dì èr → the second

🟢 两 (liǎng) – “two of something”

• Used when saying “two + measure word + noun”

• Appears in real-life quantity expressions

• Used with measure words, money, time, and objects

• ❗ Never used for counting or saying the number “2” by itself

📌 Examples:

• 两个人 – liǎng ge rén → two people

• 两本书 – liǎng běn shū → two books

• 两块钱 – liǎng kuài qián → two yuan

• 两点 – liǎng diǎn → two o’clock

💬  More Easy Examples

✅ 二 èr – when counting or saying numbers

1.

他家在二楼。

(Tā jiā zài èr lóu.)

→ His home is on the second floor.

2.

我的手机号码是一三二……

(Wǒ de shǒujī hàomǎ shì yāo sān èr…)

→ My phone number is 132…

✅ 两 – when you say “two of something”

1.

我有两只猫。

(Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhī māo)

→ I have two cats.

2.

我们吃了两个包子。

(Wǒmen chī le liǎng ge bāozi)

→ We ate two steamed buns.

⚠️ Common Mistakes (Watch Out!)

❌ Saying:

我有二个苹果。

(wǒ yǒu èr ge píngguǒ)

→ ❌ Wrong! “二 èr” isn’t used before measure words.

✅ Correct:

我有两个苹果。

(Wǒ yǒu liǎng ge píngguǒ.)

→ ✅ I have two apples.

🎯  Try It Yourself!

Choose the better word: 二 (èr) or 两 (liǎng)

1️⃣

我今天吃了 ___ 个鸡蛋。

(Wǒ jīntiān chī le ___ ge jīdàn.)

→ I ate ___ eggs today.

✅ Correct Answer: 两 (liǎng) — “two + measure word + noun”

2️⃣

我的房间在 ___ 楼。

(Wǒ de fángjiān zài ___ lóu.)

→ My room is on the ___ floor.

✅ Correct Answer: 二 (èr) — used for floor numbers, addresses, etc.

3️⃣

现在 ___ 点了。

(Xiànzài ___ diǎn le)

→ It’s ___ o’clock now.

✅ Correct Answer: 两 (liǎng) — for telling time

🚀 Final Tip

Use this cheat sheet to remember:

Just ask yourself:

📞 Is it just a number? → Use 二 èr

📦 Is it “two of something”? → Use 两 liǎng

Ready to stop mixing them up? 💪

Start listening for 二 èr and 两 liǎng in daily speech — it’s way more common than you think!

Just one word can flip your meaning — don’t miss the rest of the series! 👉 check them out here! 😄📘