二 (èr) means "two" with radical 二 (two), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: two
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
二 is a simple indicative graph, two horizontal strokes stacked to denote the number two. It appears this way in oracle-bone, bronze, and seal script with no pictographic content beyond the counting gesture itself. It belongs to the same series as 一, 三, and the now-archaic 亖 (four).
Form evolution
The oracle-bone form is two roughly parallel lines, sometimes of slightly different length. Bronze and seal forms regularised the two strokes into clean horizontals, with the lower stroke conventionally longer. Clerical and 楷书 fixed the modern proportions, and the character has not structurally changed for over two millennia.
How the meaning evolved
The core numeric meaning has been stable since the earliest writing. By extension 二 came to mean second, a pair, or double, as in 第二 (second) and 二手 (second-hand). In modern colloquial Mandarin it also carries a slang sense of foolish or dim, as in 二货, which is specific to contemporary internet usage.
Cultural note
In financial and legal writing 二 is replaced by the anti-fraud form 贰, because extra strokes cannot be added to 二 to forge a larger number. Learners should also note that the ordinal 二 is replaced by 两 before measure words, so two people is 两个人 not 二个人.
Basic info
| Pinyin | èr |
| Meanings | two |
| Radical | 二 (#7: two) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1, write by hand at HSK 1-2 |
| Frequency | #770 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 二
Related characters
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 二 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
- Chinese 1 Vocabulary List: Essential Words for Your First Year
- Days, Months & Seasons in Chinese: Complete Time Vocabulary
- Chinese Numbers 1-100: Complete Guide with Pronunciation
- Chinese Technology Vocabulary: 80+ Words for the Digital World
- Chinese Travel Vocabulary: 150 Essential Words & Phrases for Your Trip
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.