more 二 and 兩: time/date

[freefall]

By searching the forum I have established that 兩 is used for times of day, e.g. 兩點一刻. My book uses 二 for months though, e.g. 二月. So my question is, to what extent are 二 and 兩 exchangeable within the context of all time/date phrases?

二點一刻 ?

兩月 ?

Any other usage rules I should be aware of?

Thanks,

freefall

[ameliasj]

Well, I can't point out a rule of these two words for you, but I can give you some examples.

两个人（We never say 二个人），while 二人世界。

Same as 两个月，and 二月。

（See the difference?）

With regard to time, if you listen to the radio, you will hear the announcer say "北京时刻二点整" , but in daily life, we use 两点instead of 二点。

And if you are in Shanghai, you will find people here like to use 两 everywhere(两楼，两月etc.) as in Shanghainese, we seldom say 二。

[skylee]

And if you are in Shanghai, you will find people here like to use 两 everywhere(两楼，两月etc.) as in Shanghainese, we seldom say 二。

In Hong Kong, where Cantonese is spoken, we say 二樓 for "second floor" (I believe this is the same for Mandarin), never 兩樓. "Two months" is 兩個月 but "February" is 二月. For time, we use 二時 for "2 o'clock" in writing but 兩點/兩點鐘 when we speak.

[tanhql]

二 is used to note order (ie, february, second, ) or to read the arabic number 2. decimel places also use 二(零点二, 0.2).

两 is used to count(two days, two weeks, two objects, two kilograms).

so 二月 is february, 两月 is two months.

二樓 is second floor, 两樓 is 'how many floors'(ie, 'how many floors do that departmental store occupy?')

我们得爬上两楼才能到二楼。

we need to climb two storeys to get to the second floor.

if you study japanese, it's the same. 二(ni) is used to note order, to read arabic number. 二つ(futatsu) is used to count objects.

[semantic nuance]

generally, 兩 is used to show amount, examples: 兩天, 兩 斤, 三三兩兩, etc.

二 is used to show order, examples, 二月, 二十二歲, etc.

When referring to numbers, 二 is used to mean two, and 二 before 十 as in -二十to二十九 (twenty to twenty-nine.). Other than that, 兩 is used. Examples: 兩百 two hundred, 兩百二十二萬 two million two hundred and twenty-two thousand.

Hope it helps!

[HashiriKata]

二 is used to show order, examples, 二月, 二十二歲

but: 两歲. Is this right?

[semantic nuance]

Ah, that's true, indeed. But it's in the sense of 'amount', if you know what i mean. A bad example, though. When we want to express two years, it still in the category of 'amount'. So, we say, 兩年, 兩歲. Perhaps I should put it this way: that when two encounters ten, 二 (er4) is used instead of 兩.

Example of 二 and 兩both used:

她現在讀國小二年級, 已經學了兩年的英文.

She's in her second grade in the primary school, and she's learned english for 2 years.

Hope it helps!

[skylee]

Perhaps I should put it this way: that when two encounters ten, 二 (er4) is used instead of 兩.

Take a look at this thread -> 二 and 兩. At post #9 Quest said -

两 and 十 never go together, left or right.

[semantic nuance]

Take a look at this thread -> 二 and 兩. At post #9 Quest said -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quest

两 and 十 never go together' date=' left or right. [/quote']

Yes, 兩 and 十 never go together, left or right. (though it is exceptional when referring to measurement unit, 兩) , What I originally posted is that when two encounters ten, 二 (er4) is used instead of 兩. That is, when in that case, 二 is used, not 兩. For example, 二十(twenty), 十二(twelve). It is never ever 兩十, or 十兩 to mean 20, or 12. However, we do use 十兩 to indicate measurement (ㄧ斤=16兩).

Please read carefully, I said 'instead of' ; I didn't say 'it is' 兩. 當碰到數字"十"的時候,在左邊或右邊, 都要用 '二', 而不是用'兩'來表達.

[hnbw_bj]

Generally speaking, 两 is used to counting. Such as 两个月,两个人. 二 is just a number. However, 二 is used to ordinal number. such as 第二. Certainly, this is not obsolutely,sometimes it's a language habit. You don't sedulously remember, only pay attention to them in daily life and listen to carefully Chinese how to use them.