两

Tap the pinyin to hear it

two; both; some; a few; tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old)

Sound it out + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Two people 从 together in a cart

Components 一冂从

dos · Heisig RSH #1478

人 person + belt — as a component also called: yoke

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

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
一国两制	yī guó liǎng zhì	one country, two systems (PRC proposal regarding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)
三下两下	sān xià liǎng xià	quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
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

These characters use 两 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
两 sound part	liǎng	two, both, pair, couple; ounce
魉	liǎng	a kind of monster