两
Spell out: + =
two; both; some; a few; tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old)
7 strokes
Dict coverage rank #425 U+4E24
How 两 is formed
Ideographic compound (会意字)
Two people 从 together in a cart
How to remember it
dos · Heisig RSH #1478
人 person + belt — as a component also called: yoke
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Characters built with 两 as their sound component
These characters all use 两 (liǎng) as their phonetic component — compare how they read:
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 两 sound component | liǎng | two, both, pair, couple; ounce |
| 魉 | liǎng | a kind of monster |
Words containing 两
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一家人不说两家话 | yī jiā rén bù shuō liǎng jiā huà | lit. family members speak frankly with one another, not courteously, as if they were from … |
| 三天两头 | sān tiān liǎng tóu | lit. twice every three days (idiom); practically every day; frequently |
| 有两下子 | yǒu liǎng xià zi | to have real skill; to know one's stuff |
| 一体两面 | yī tǐ liǎng miàn | (fig.) two sides of the same coin |
| 小两口儿 | xiǎo liǎng kǒu r | erhua variant of 小兩口|小两口[xiao3 liang3 kou3] |
| 两性动物 | liǎng xìng dòng wù | hermaphrodite creature |
| 三下两下 | sān xià liǎng xià | quickly and effortlessly (idiom) |
| 一国两制 | yī guó liǎng zhì | one country, two systems (PRC proposal regarding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) |
| 老两口儿 | lǎo liǎng kǒu r | an old married couple |
| 两头儿 | liǎng tóu r | erhua variant of 兩頭|两头[liang3 tou2] |
| 两面人 | liǎng miàn rén | two-faced person |
| 两下子 | liǎng xià zi | a couple of times; to repeat the same; the same old trick; tricks of the trade |
| 两口子 | liǎng kǒu zi | husband and wife |
| 两性花 | liǎng xìng huā | hermaphrodite flower |
| 两手空空 | liǎng shǒu kōng kōng | empty-handed (idiom); fig. not receiving anything |
| 两口儿 | liǎng kǒu r | husband and wife; couple |
| 小两口 | xiǎo liǎng kǒu | (coll.) young married couple |
| 两分法 | liǎng fēn fǎ | (Maoism) one divides into two |
| 三言两语 | sān yán liǎng yǔ | in a few words (idiom); expressed succinctly |
| 两河文明 | Liǎng hé wén míng | Mesopotamian civilization |