What does 两 mean in Chinese?

两 (liǎng) means "two" in Chinese. The new HSK exam expects you to recognise it at HSK 1.

How do you write 两?

两 is written with 7 strokes, starting from the 一 (one) radical and following standard Chinese stroke order (top to bottom, left to right). See the interactive stroke-order tool for the full animation.

What is the radical of 两?

The radical of 两 is 一 (one, Kangxi radical #1). Other common HSK characters using the same radical include 不, 一, 东, 下.

How many strokes does 两 have?

The Chinese character 两 has 7 strokes.

What HSK level is 两?

On the new HSK exam syllabus, 两 is a character to recognise at HSK 1 and to write by hand at HSK 2 (the handwriting list HSK 1 and 2 share).

两 (liǎng): Meaning, Stroke Order, Radical & Examples

两

liǎng

two

HSK 1 character 7 strokes Radical: 一 (one)

Quick Answer

两 (liǎng) means "two" with 7 strokes, radical 一 (one), HSK 1 on the new exam.

Full dictionary entry for 两 →Animated stroke-order for 两 →

Pronunciation

liǎng

Meaning

Primary: two

Etymology

Oracle-bone origin

The traditional character 兩 is not found in oracle bone inscriptions in its current form, but bronze-script forms show a symmetrical shape interpreted as a pair of yoked weights, balance pans, or a carriage yoke joining two horses. The doubled symmetrical structure embodies the meaning of 'pair' directly in its visual form. It is one of the clearest examples of a character whose shape reinforces its semantic content.

Form evolution

Bronze forms show the symmetrical twin-compartment shape clearly. Seal script regularised the two inner elements into matching 入 components enclosed by a frame. Clerical and regular script produced the traditional 兩, and the modern simplified form 两 reduces the inner strokes while preserving the symmetry.

How the meaning evolved

The original meaning was 'a pair' or 'two of a matched set', which is why 两 rather than 二 is used before measure words in modern Mandarin (两个人, not 二个人). It also became a unit of weight, the liang, equal to roughly 50 grams in modern usage but historically variable. Both the 'pair' and weight senses remain active.

Cultural note

The distinction between 二 and 两 confuses learners endlessly. A rough rule: use 二 for digits, ordinals, and after hundreds, thousands and higher (二百, 二楼), but 两 before measure words and for the quantity 'two of something'. In Cantonese the weight sense dominates daily life through food and herb measurements.