二月
二two月month=February
二
二 (èr) Chinese Character: two
One line, then another — that's two!
Practice 二 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Two Lines
Two lines, one stacked on the other — that's two. 二. The ancient scribes simply added a second stroke below the first. Some say the upper line is heaven and the lower is earth. Either way, it is counting made visible, one stroke at a time.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
十二
十ten二two=twelve
Chinese character origin and etymology
二 is documented as a basic character form. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 二 is written with 2 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 二 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
二 is written with 2 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 二 — two — two horizontal strokes
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 二 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
我的生日在二月。
My birthday is in February.
我买了一部二手手机。
I bought a second-hand phone.
他三心二意。
He is of two minds.
Learning tips for 二
Learn the reading as one unit: èr, with the fourth tone: a sharp fall. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “two,” and write the 2 strokes from memory.
Because 二 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 一 (yī, one); 三 (sān, three); 仁 (rén, benevolence — person (亻) + two (二)). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 二 without pinyin?
- Can you say èr with the correct tone and explain “two”?
- Can you write all 2 strokes in order?
- Can you use 二 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 二 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.