1.

Er & Liang

Examples:

20

二十

èr shí

200

二百

èr bǎi

0.2

零点二

líng diǎn èr

That said, there are some occasions where you can read the 2 in a number as 两
(liǎng) as well. I’ll get to that in a minute.

Now, when the digit 2 appears in a series of numbers, you always read it as 二 (èr).
That’s why you only hear 二 (èr) in a telephone number.  

For example, if your phone number is 802-4226-5372, you read it as 八零二 四二二六
五三七二 (bā líng èr sì èr èr liù wǔ sān qī èr).

You sent

2. Use 二 (èr) to Express “2nd”

In addition to cardinal numbers, 二 (èr) is constantly used to express the ordinal

number “second”.

Examples:

第二

dì èr

the second

第二个
dì èr gè

the second one

第二次

dì èr cì

the second time

第二天

dì èr tiān

the second day

第二周

dì èr zhōu

the second week

二楼 

èr lóu

the second floor

二哥

èr gē

the second oldest brother

二月

èr yuè

February (the second month)

二号

èr hào

the second date (of the month)

二月二十二号
èr yuè èr shí èr hào

February twenty-second (the twenty-second date of the second month)

use er instead of liang in Chinese to express the second

When specifying quantities (and using measure words to do it), 两(liǎng) is used. This
is when you want to say "two of something" or “both.”

A table for two, please.

Liǎng wèi. (lee-ahng way) 两位。

1. Use 二 (èr) to Tell Numbers, Count and Do Math 

Let’s see some examples!

一二三四五

yī èr sān sì wǔ

one two three four five

八十二 

bā shí èr

eighty-two

二十二块钱

èr shí èr kuài qián

twenty-two RMB (Kuai: basic monetary unit of China) 

八十二岁

bā shí èr suì

eighty-two years of age

三分之二

sān fēn zhī èr

two-thirds
Use er instead of liang in math

If the digit 2 is part of another number, big or small, you can read it as 二 (èr).

Examples:

20

二十

èr shí

200

二百

èr bǎi

0.2

零点二

líng diǎn èr

That said, there are some occasions where you can read the 2 in a number as 两
(liǎng) as well. I’ll get to that in a minute.

Now, when the digit 2 appears in a series of numbers, you always read it as 二 (èr).
That’s why you only hear 二 (èr) in a telephone number.  

For example, if your phone number is 802-4226-5372, you read it as 八零二 四二二六
五三七二 (bā líng èr sì èr èr liù wǔ sān qī èr).

You sent

2. Use 二 (èr) to Express “2nd”

In addition to cardinal numbers, 二 (èr) is constantly used to express the ordinal

number “second”.

Examples:

第二

dì èr
the second

第二个

dì èr gè

the second one

第二次

dì èr cì

the second time

第二天

dì èr tiān

the second day

二月二十二号

èr yuè èr shí èr hào

February twenty-second (the twenty-second date of the second month)

use er instead of liang in Chinese to express the second