The character 二 — “two”: how to write it and what it means
two
The Chinese character 二 is read èr and means “two”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 二
二 has 2 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 二, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 二 is made of
Two strokes.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 二
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 二?
二 has 2 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 二 mean?
二 means “two”. It appears in 二手 (“second-hand”), 二维码 (“QR code”), 二氧化碳 (“carbon dioxide”).
How do you pronounce 二?
二 is read èr. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 二 have?
2 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 二 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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