两 liǎng pair; two
Used as component 两 in :满 mǎn ; 俩 bǐng ; 辆 liàng Made up of [冂 jiōng covering box radical 13, 亻 rén Person (radical) radical 9, 一 yī one radical 1]
Alternative traditional form of character: 兩
Made with 7 strokes.
A picture of a pair of things - 'third of heavenly stems (bing)' that used to be phonetic
Ancient small seal form 
Related characters
Also uses 冂 jiōng component: 冈 gāng (ridge) 见 jiàn (see) 丽 lì (beautiful) 南 nán (south) 内 nèi (inner) 尚 shàng (still) 商 shāng (commerce) 同 tóng (same) 网 wǎng (net) 雨 yǔ (rain) 再 zài (again) 周 zhōu (circuit)
Also uses 亻 rén component: 俩 bǐng (both) 倡 chàng (to initiate) 代 dài (replace) 但 dàn (but) 倒 dào (fall) 仿 fǎng (to imitate) 份 fèn (portion) 供 gōng (to provide) 估 gū (estimate) 何 hé (what) 候 hòu (wait) 侯 hóu (nobleman) 化 huà (to make into) 华 huá (splendid) 花 huā (flower) 健 jiàn (healthy) 们 mén (s) 你 nǐ (you) 仁 rén (humane) 什 shén (what) 他 tā (he) 位 wèi (position) 仙 xiān (immortal) 信 xìn (letter) 夜 yè (night) 亿 yì (100,000,000) 攸 yōu (distant) 值 zhí (value) 住 zhù (to live) 传 zhuàn (biography) 作 zuò (to do) 做 zuò (to make)
Also uses 一 yī component: 百 bǎi (hundred) 丙 bǐng (third in order) 不 bù (no; not) 丑 chǒu (shameful) 旦 dàn (dawn) 德 dé (virtue) 画 huà (to draw) 或 huò (maybe) 疆 jiāng (border) 开 kāi (begin) 丽 lì (beautiful) 蒙 měng (Mongol) 灭 miè (to extinguish) 且 qiě (and) 世 shì (life) 与 yǔ (to give) 再 zài (again) 正 zhèng (correct)
Different tone
良 liáng (good) 凉 liáng (cool) 辆 liàng (collective word for vehicles)Pronunciation
Sound file kindly provided by shtooka.net ➚ under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License
Proverbs
半斤八两 bàn jīn bā liǎng Nothing to choose between two alternatives一个和尚挑水喝,两个和尚抬水喝,三个和尚没水喝 yī gè hé shang tiāo shuǐ hē, liǎng gè hé shang tái shuǐ hē, sān ge hé shang méi shuǐ hē Sometimes work is best done alone, a group may procrastinate without achieving anything
模棱两可 mó léng liǎng kě Position is unclear or uncertain. Failing to make up your mind.
一举两得 yī jǔ liǎng dé A lucky stroke. There is a story of a two hunters. They saw two tigers feasting on a dead ox. One of them was keen to attack both of them but his friend advised against it. He thought that the tigers were bound to fight each other and whichever won would be weakened and much easier to attack. Following this advice two tigers were killed with one attack.
两败俱伤 liǎng bài jù shāng Heading towards a Pyrric victory - neither side wins. A conflict neither side can win.
两条腿走路 liǎng tiáo tuǐ zǒu lù When alternative methods are needed not just one
Phrases
我 们 要 两 杯 咖 啡 wǒ mén yào liǎng bēi kā fēi We want two cups of coffee还 要 两 碗 米 饭 hái yào liǎng wān mǐ fàn Also want two bowls of rice