两 (liǎng) is a Chinese character meaning “two”. It is written from 一 (one) and 冂 (down box) and 从 (to follow; two people one behind the other), and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “two”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + 冂 + 从
Overlapping structure
- 一 one · yī unknown
- 冂 down box · jiōng unknown
- 从 to follow; two people one behind the other · cóng unknown
Structure from: Unicode U+4E24; modern glyph decomposition candidate verified against hanzi-writer-data 两 stroke geometry (strokes 0 / 1–2 / 3–6)
Memory aid
One flat line (一) laid over an open box (冂), and 从 — two people — standing side by side inside it. Two people, one box: 两 is "two".
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 两个liǎng gètwo (of something)两 = liǎng
- 两天liǎng tiāntwo days两 = liǎng
- 斤两jīn liǎngweight; (figuratively) how much something counts两 = liǎng
- 两栖liǎng qīamphibious两 = liǎng
- 掂斤播两diān jīn bō liǎngto haggle over every ounce; to be petty and calculating两 = liǎng
Go deeper
All readings
two
two; a pair of; used before a measure word instead of 二; also a traditional unit of weight (50 g)
数目二，用在量词前面。也是重量单位，一斤的十分之一。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 两个liǎng gètwo (of something)两 = liǎng
- 两天liǎng tiāntwo days两 = liǎng
- 斤两jīn liǎngweight; (figuratively) how much something counts两 = liǎng
- 两栖liǎng qīamphibious两 = liǎng
- 掂斤播两diān jīn bō liǎngto haggle over every ounce; to be petty and calculating两 = liǎng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 两 mean?
两 (liǎng) means two; a pair of; used before a measure word instead of 二; also a traditional unit of weight (50 g).
How do you pronounce 两?
It is pronounced liǎng.
What parts is 两 made of?
一 (one) and 冂 (down box) and 从 (to follow; two people one behind the other). The recorded source is: Unicode U+4E24; modern glyph decomposition candidate verified against hanzi-writer-data 两 stroke geometry (strokes 0 / 1–2 / 3–6). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 两 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 两?
一. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 两?
Common ones are 两个 and 两天. The reading of 两 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.