两 liǎng
“two; both; some”
numeral, time wordHSK 2 · 2021 list level 1Traditional 兩
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
两 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entries. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 111: 两1 liǎng — Level 1; official annotation 1 (数). PDF page 82
- Entry 1473: 两2 liǎng — Level 4; official annotation 4 (量). PDF page 116
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 两
两 means “two” and is used before a measure word when counting two people or things, as in 两个苹果. It is not used alone as a bare number; for plain counting or numbers, use 二. The typical pattern is 两 + measure word + noun.
例句Example sentences
- 我有两本书。wǒ yǒu liǎng běn shū.I have two books.
- 我们班有两个中国学生。wǒ men bān yǒu liǎng gè zhōng guó xué sheng.There are two Chinese students in our class.
- 他买了两个苹果。tā mǎi le liǎng gè píng guǒ.He bought two apples.
易混词Easily confused
两vs二
二 is the number “two” used in counting, numbers, and ordinals; 两 is used before measure words when counting two things or people.