How to Write 二 (èr) — Meaning “Two.”

Imagine a two‑story building: the top line is the first floor and the bottom line is the second floor. This visual of two stacked levels helps you remember that 二 means 'two'.

Write the top horizontal stroke first from left to right, then the longer bottom stroke. Keep the bottom line about twice as long as the top line and make both strokes perfectly flat with a slight gap between them.

二 has only two horizontal strokes, while 亍 has an extra vertical stroke downward from the middle of the top line. 于 also has a vertical stroke but with a hook at the bottom, and it means 'in' or 'at'—it is not the number two.

二 is the standard character for the number two, used in counting, dates (e.g., 二月 for February), and ordinals (e.g., 第二 for 'second'). In daily life, avoid using 二 for 'two' in informal speech with objects—use the counter 两 (liǎng) instead, but 二 is correct for numbers and mathematics.

Common words containing 二 include: 二月 (èr yuè) — February.; 二十 (èr shí) — Twenty.; 第二 (dì èr) — Second.