二

Han character

二 (radical 7, 二+0, 2 strokes, cangjie input 一一 (MM), four-corner 1010₀, composition ⿱一一)

1. Kangxi radical #7, ⼆.

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 二
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j28182 j28183 j28184 j28185 j28186 j28187 j28188 j28189 j28190 j28191 j28192 j28193 j28194 j28195 j28196 j28197 j28198 j28199 Bronze inscriptions b18613 b18614 b18615 b18616 b18617 b18618 b18619 b18620 b18621 b18622 b18623 b18624 b18625 b18626 b18627 b18628 b18629 b18630 b18631 b18632 b18633 Small seal script s10124 Transcribed ancient scripts L19175 L19176 L19177 L19178 L19179
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Ideogram (指事) - two parallel lines. Compare with 一, one line meaning one, 三, three lines meaning three, and 亖, four lines meaning four. Duplication of 一 (“one”).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/s-ni-s.

Pronunciation

Definitions

二

1. two

   • 子曰：「君子之道，或出或處，或默或語，二人同心，其利斷金。同心之言，其臭如蘭。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：“君子之道，或出或处，或默或语，二人同心，其利断金。同心之言，其臭如兰。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 3^rd – 2^nd millennia BCE

     Zǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ zhī dào, huò chū huò chǔ, huò mò huò yǔ, èr rén tóng xīn, qí lì duàn jīn. Tóng xīn zhī yán, qí xiù rú lán.” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, on this, "The ways of good men (different seem). This in a public office toils; that in his home the time beguiles. One man his lips with silence seals; another all his mind reveals. But when two men are one in heart, not iron bolts keep them apart; the words they in their union use, fragrance like orchid plants diffuse."

2. second

   • 子墨子曰：國有七患。七患者何？城郭溝池不可守而治宮室，一患也。邊國至境四鄰莫救，二患也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子墨子曰：国有七患。七患者何？城郭沟池不可守而治宫室，一患也。边国至境四邻莫救，二患也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mozi (book), circa 4^th century BCE

     Zǐ Mòzǐ yuē: guó yǒu qī huàn. Qī huàn zhě hé? Chéngguō gōuchí bù kě shǒu ér zhì gōngshì, yī huàn yě. Biānguó zhì jìng sìlín mò jiù, èr huàn yě. [Pinyin]

     Mozi said: There are seven causes of worry to a state and they are: (1) When the outer and the inner city walls are not defensible; (2) When an enemy state is approaching and yet one's neighbours do not come to the rescue.

3. ^† secondary, vice-
4. ^† again, once more
5. ^† two-fold, double
6. ^† fold, times
7. ^† different; other, else
   • 二意
   • 二心 (èrxīn)
8. Short for "twenty, two hundred or two thousand" after hundreds, thousands and ten thousands.

   • 買電腦花了一千二。 [MSC, trad.]
     买电脑花了一千二。 [MSC, simp.]

     Mǎi diànnǎo huā le yī qiān èr. [Pinyin]

     Buying the computer cost me a thousand and two hundred bucks.

9. Short for "twenty cents".
   • 黃瓜一塊二一斤。 / 黄瓜一块二一斤。  ―  Huángguā yī kuài èr yī jīn.  ―  The cucumbers are one dollar twenty per half kilogram.
10. (Northeast Mandarin, neologism) stupid, dumb; silly, thick, lacking mental agility (often in a cute way)

    • 你這人怎麼這麼二！ [MSC, trad.]
      你这人怎么这么二！ [MSC, simp.]

      Nǐ zhè rén zěnme zhème èr! [Pinyin]

      Why are you so incorrigibly stupid!

See also

Playing cards in Chinese · 撲克牌／扑克牌 (pūkèpái) (layout · text)
A	二	三	四	五	六	七
八	九	十	J	Q	K	小王 (black), 大王 (red)

Kanji

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 二 (nyij^H, “two”).

Etymology 2

Originally /huta/: *[puta] > [ɸuta]. The Ablaut form of 一 (hito2, “one”), which it doubles.

References

Hanja

二 • (i)

• Eumhun:
  • Sound (hangeul): 이
  • Name (hangeul): 둘, 두

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Han character

二 (nhì, nhị)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Numeral

二

1. Sawndip form of ngeih