What does 兩 liǎng mean?
「兩 liǎng」is a very common Chinese word. Most learners first learn it as “two,” but it can also have other meanings depending on the context.
In this lesson, we will learn three useful meanings of「兩」:
- two: used before measure words
- a few: used in casual time expressions
- tael: a traditional Chinese weight unit
1. 兩 liǎng means “two” before measure words
In Chinese,「兩」is often used instead of「二 èr」before a measure word.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 兩個人 ♬ | liǎng ge rén | two people |
| 兩本書 ♬ | liǎng běn shū | two books |
| 兩杯咖啡 ♬ | liǎng bēi kāfēi | two cups of coffee |
In daily Chinese, you usually say「兩個人」, not「二個人」.
2. 兩 liǎng can mean “a few” in some expressions
Sometimes「兩」does not mean exactly “two.” In casual speech, expressions like「過兩天」can mean “in a few days” or “after a couple of days.”
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 過兩天再看看。 ♬ | guò liǎng tiān zài kàn kàn | Let’s check again in a few days. |
Here,「兩天」can be flexible. It may mean around two days, or simply “a few days,” depending on the situation.
3. 兩三 liǎng sān means “two or three”
If you want to clearly say “two or three,” you can use「兩三」.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 過了兩三天。 ♬ | guò le liǎng sān tiān | Two or three days passed. |
| 我等了兩三分鐘。 ♬ | wǒ děng le liǎng sān fēnzhōng | I waited for two or three minutes. |
「兩三」means “two or three.” It is more specific than the flexible「過兩天」.
4. 兩 liǎng as a traditional weight unit
「兩」can also be a traditional Chinese unit of weight. In English, it is often translated as “tael.”
This meaning is still useful when talking about things such as tea, Chinese medicine, herbs, gold, silver, or traditional markets.
| Region | 1 斤 jīn | 1 兩 liǎng |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 600 g | 37.5 g |
| Mainland China | 500 g | 50 g |
Be careful: the weight of「斤」and「兩」is not the same in Taiwan and mainland China.
5. 公斤 gōngjīn and 斤 jīn are different
「公斤 gōngjīn」means kilogram.「斤 jīn」is a traditional Chinese weight unit.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 公斤 ♬ | gōngjīn | kilogram |
| 斤 ♬ | jīn | catty; traditional Chinese weight unit |
| 兩 ♬ | liǎng | tael; traditional Chinese weight unit |
For example,「一公斤」is always 1000 grams, but「一斤」depends on the region.
Quick review
| Usage | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 兩 + measure word | two | 兩個人 ♬ |
| 過兩天 | in a few days / after a couple of days | 過兩天再看看。 ♬ |
| 兩三 + time word | two or three | 兩三天 ♬ |
| 兩 as a weight unit | tael | 一兩茶葉 ♬ |
| 公斤 vs 斤 | kilogram vs traditional catty | 一公斤不是一斤。 ♬ |
Useful vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 兩 ♬ | liǎng | two; tael |
| 二 ♬ | èr | two |
| 個 ♬ | ge | general measure word |
| 本 ♬ | běn | measure word for books |
| 杯 ♬ | bēi | cup; measure word for cups |
| 過兩天 ♬ | guò liǎng tiān | in a few days; after a couple of days |
| 再看看 ♬ | zài kàn kàn | to check again; to see again |
| 兩三天 ♬ | liǎng sān tiān | two or three days |
| 斤 ♬ | jīn | catty; traditional Chinese weight unit |
| 公斤 ♬ | gōngjīn | kilogram |
| 茶葉 ♬ | cháyè | tea leaves |
| 中藥 ♬ | zhōngyào | Chinese medicine |
| 黃金 ♬ | huángjīn | gold |
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