When do you use 两 (liǎng) instead of 二 (èr)?

Use 两 (liǎng) when you are counting things, which in Mandarin means before a measure word: 两个人 (liǎng ge rén, two people), 两杯咖啡 (liǎng bēi kāfēi, two cups of coffee). It also goes before nouns that are units themselves, such as 两天 (liǎng tiān, two days) and 两年 (liǎng nián, two years). Elsewhere, counting aloud, inside a number and in ordinals, two is 二 (èr); the one twist is that 两 also starts 两千 (liǎngqiān, 2,000) and 两万 (liǎngwàn, 20,000).

Is twelve 十二 or 十两?

Always 十二 (shí'èr). 两 (liǎng) only replaces a two that stands alone in front of a measure word; the 2 at the end of a longer number stays 二, even when a measure word follows. So twelve people is 十二个人 (shí'èr ge rén), and twenty-two is 二十二 (èrshí'èr).

How do you say 'second' in Mandarin, 第二 or 第两?

第二 (dì èr). An ordinal is the number itself, not a count of things, so it takes 二. 第两 does not exist. The same goes for 二月 (èryuè, February) and 二楼 (èr lóu, the floor above the ground floor).

What does 俩 (liǎ) mean?

俩 (liǎ) is a colloquial contraction of 两个 (liǎng ge), strongest in the north, two of them. 我们俩 (wǒmen liǎ) means the two of us. Because it already contains the measure word, it never takes 个 after it: 俩人 (liǎ rén), not 俩个人.

二 (èr) vs 两 (liǎng): The Two Words for Two in Mandarin

Q: Do you say 两百 or 二百 for 200?

Both are correct and both are heard every day. 两百 (liǎngbǎi) is the commoner in casual speech; 二百 (èrbǎi) is just as correct and is common in the north. Before 千 (qiān) and 万 (wàn) at the start of a number, 两 is the norm: 两千 (liǎngqiān, 2,000), 两万 (liǎngwàn, 20,000).

By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 11 October 2026

Mandarin has two words for two, and the split is about what the number is doing. (èr) is the number itself. (liǎng) is two of something, and it goes before a measure word.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

二 (èr) or 两 (liǎng)? Count with 二, count things with 两.

个人 (two people)
___ gè rén (two people)
十 (twelve)
shí ___ (twelve)
第 (second)
dì ___ (second)

The whole rule on one screen

The colours stay the same all page long:

二 èr (the number)两 liǎng (two of something)What do the colours mean?

Use	Hanzi	Pinyin
Counting aloud	`，，`	yī, èr, sān
Inside a number		shí'èr
Ordinals		dì èr
Digit by digit		èr líng èr liù nián
Before a measure		liǎng ge rén
Before and		liǎngwàn

二 (èr): the number itself

Use (èr) whenever two is a number rather than a count of things.

Hanzi	Pinyin	English
	shí'èr	twelve
	èrshí'èr	twenty-two
	dì èr	second
	èryuè	February
`。`	Wǒ zhù èr lóu.	I live on the first floor

The floor is not a slip: Chinese counts the ground floor as (yī lóu), so (èr lóu) is one up, the British first floor.

The 2 at the end of a longer number stays (èr) even when a measure word follows, because the measure word belongs to the whole number:

。 (Zhèlǐ yǒu shí'èr ge rén.) - There are twelve people here.

Digits read out: phone numbers and years

Phone numbers and years are read one digit at a time, with (èr):

(èr líng èr liù nián) - 2026

In phone numbers on the mainland, 1 is usually read yāo, written 幺, so it cannot be misheard as (qī). The police number 110 is said yāo yāo líng.

两 (liǎng): two of something

Use (liǎng) before a measure word, or before a noun that is a unit itself:

Hanzi	Pinyin	English
`。`	Wǒ yǒu liǎng ge háizi.	I have two children
	liǎng bēi kāfēi	two cups of coffee
	liǎng tiān	two days
	liǎng nián	two years
	liǎng kuài qián	two yuan

Age works the same way, because (suì, year of age) is a unit:

。 (Wǒ nǚ'ér liǎng suì.) - My daughter is two.

In speech, (liǎng ge) often fuses into (liǎ), two of them, which never takes (gè) after it:

。 (Wǒmen liǎ qù ba.) - Let's go, the two of us.

Inside bigger numbers

The unit that follows decides:

Before	Two is	Pinyin
	only	èrshí
	either	liǎngbǎi
, ,	, usually	liǎngqiān
mid-number	usually	yìqiān èrbǎi

Before (bǎi), (èrbǎi) is just as correct as (liǎngbǎi) and is common in the north. Mid-number you will also hear (yìqiān liǎngbǎi). The one form nobody says is (liǎng shí) for twenty.

Mistakes English speakers make

Wrong	Right	Pinyin	Why
		liǎng ge háizi	a count of things takes
		shí'èr ge rén	the 2 in twelve stays
		dì èr	ordinals take
		èrshí	before , only
		liǎ rén	already contains

The quick test: is there a measure word or a unit noun such as (tiān) straight after the two, with no other digit in front of it? Then (liǎng). Otherwise (èr), apart from (liǎngqiān) and (liǎngwàn).

What to do next

Do the drill below until the choice is instant.
Go back to how Mandarin numbers work for (líng), (wàn) and the tone of (yī).
Read the measure words page: every (liǎng) needs one.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/8

二 (èr) or 两 (liǎng)? Count with 二, count things with 两.

个人 (two people)
___ gè rén (two people)
十 (twelve)
shí ___ (twelve)
第 (second)
dì ___ (second)
天 (two days)
___ tiān (two days)
一，，三 (counting aloud)
yī ，___， sān (counting aloud)
十 (twenty)
___ shí (twenty)
杯咖啡 (two cups of coffee)
___ bēi kā fēi (two cups of coffee)
十个人 (twelve people)
shí ___ gè rén (twelve people)

Complete the story

0/5

Choose 二 or 两 for each gap.

My family in numbers

我有个孩子。大的十岁，小的岁。我们住在楼。我每天喝杯咖啡。

Gap 1 of 5

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

wǒ yǒu èr gè hái zi 。
tā shì dì liǎng gè 。
zhè lǐ yǒu shí liǎng gè rén 。

Matching

0/5

Match each phrase to its English.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use (liǎng) instead of (èr)?

Use (liǎng) when you are counting things, which in Mandarin means before a measure word: (liǎng ge rén, two people), (liǎng bēi kāfēi, two cups of coffee). It also goes before nouns that are units themselves, such as (liǎng tiān, two days) and (liǎng nián, two years). Elsewhere, counting aloud, inside a number and in ordinals, two is (èr); the one twist is that also starts (liǎngqiān, 2,000) and (liǎngwàn, 20,000).

Is twelve or ?

Always (shí'èr). (liǎng) only replaces a two that stands alone in front of a measure word; the 2 at the end of a longer number stays , even when a measure word follows. So twelve people is (shí'èr ge rén), and twenty-two is (èrshí'èr).

Do you say or for 200?

Both are correct and both are heard every day. (liǎngbǎi) is the commoner in casual speech; (èrbǎi) is just as correct and is common in the north. Before (qiān) and (wàn) at the start of a number, is the norm: (liǎngqiān, 2,000), (liǎngwàn, 20,000).

How do you say 'second' in Mandarin, or ?

(dì èr). An ordinal is the number itself, not a count of things, so it takes . does not exist. The same goes for (èryuè, February) and (èr lóu, the floor above the ground floor).

What does (liǎ) mean?

(liǎ) is a colloquial contraction of (liǎng ge), strongest in the north, two of them. (wǒmen liǎ) means the two of us. Because it already contains the measure word, it never takes after it: (liǎ rén), not .

二 (èr) vs 两 (liǎng): The Two Words for Two in Mandarin

Quick check

Pick the right one

The whole rule on one screen

二 (èr): the number itself

Digits read out: phone numbers and years

两 (liǎng): two of something

Inside bigger numbers

Mistakes English speakers make

What to do next

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

Complete the story

Spot the mistake

Matching

Practice worksheets and infographics

Free for members

Frequently asked questions