二/兩

Two

Level 1Sounds Like loeng5

Both 二 (ji6) and 兩 (loeng5) mean 'two' in Cantonese, but they serve different functions. Use 二 (ji6) for numbers in sequence, dates, addresses, and math. Use 兩 (loeng5) when specifying a quantity of items or units before a classifier.

How It Works

In Cantonese, 'two' is expressed using two different words depending on the grammatical context:

1. When to use 二 (ji6):

  • Counting in sequence: 一, 二, 三 (jat1, ji6, saam1 - one, two, three).
  • Ordinal positions: 第二 (dai6 ji6 - second), 二樓 (ji6 lau2 - 2nd floor).
  • Dates and calendar months: 二月 (ji6 jyut6 - February), 二號 (ji6 hou6 - 2nd day).
  • Codes and identifiers: Room numbers, telephone digits, bus routes (e.g., 二零二號房 ji6 ling4 ji6 hou6 fong4 - Room 202).
  • Tens place: 二十 (ji6 sap6 - twenty).

2. When to use 兩 (loeng5):

  • Before classifiers / measure words: 兩個人 (loeng5 go3 jan4 - two people), 兩本書 (loeng5 bun2 syu1 - two books).
  • Clock time and time units: 兩點 (loeng5 dim2 - 2 o'clock), 兩個鐘 (loeng5 go3 zung1 - 2 hours), 兩日 (loeng5 jat6 - 2 days).
  • Idiomatic 'a couple / a few': 兩句 (loeng5 geoi3 - a few words).

3. Large Base-10 Units (Flexible):
For large unit words like hundred (百 baak3), thousand (千 cin1), and ten thousand (萬 maan6), both forms are acceptable in spoken Cantonese! For instance, both 兩千蚊 (loeng5 cin1 man1) and 二千蚊 (ji6 cin1 man1) naturally mean '$2,000'.

Examples (4)

  1. 佢有兩個妹妹。

    She has two younger sisters.

    Word by Word: She have two [CL] younger-sister.

    Use 兩 (loeng5) before the classifier 個 (go3) to count people.

  2. 我住喺二樓，二零二號房。

    I live on the second floor, Room 202.

    Word by Word: I live at second floor, two zero two number room.

    Use 二 (ji6) for positional floors and room number codes.

  3. 今日係二月二號，我哋兩點見啦。

    Today is February 2nd; let's meet at 2 o'clock.

    Word by Word: Today is February second date, we two o'clock meet [particle].

    February 2nd uses 二 (ji6) because it refers to ordinal calendar dates, while 2 o'clock uses 兩 (loeng5).

  4. 我想買兩本書。

    I want to buy two books.

    Word by Word: I want buy two [CL] book.

    Use 兩 (loeng5) with the book classifier 本 (bun2) to specify quantity.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 二 (ji6) instead of 兩 (loeng5) before a classifier.

    我想買二個人嘅飛。
    我想買兩個人嘅飛。

    When specifying a quantity of items or people before a classifier like 個 (go3), you must use 兩 (loeng5).

  • Using 二 (ji6) for 2 o'clock.

    我哋二點食飯。
    我哋兩點食飯。

    2 o'clock is 兩點 (loeng5 dim2). Note that 12 o'clock remains 十二點 (sap6 ji6 dim2) because 12 ends in digit 2.

  • Using 兩 (loeng5) for calendar months.

    我兩月去香港。
    我二月去香港。

    February is the 2nd month of the year, so it uses 二 (ji6) as 二月 (ji6 jyut6). Two months duration would be 兩個月 (loeng5 go3 jyut6).

How It Connects

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二/兩Level 1Two

Learn This First

To understand the difference between '二' and '兩', you first need to understand how Cantonese uses classifiers (measure words) when counting objects, as '兩' is specifically used before classifiers while '二' is used for counting, dates, and ordinal numbers.

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