The two 'twos' in Cantonese and how to differenciate them
In Cantonese, there are a lot of words that mean the same thing but used in different context. the most prevalent one is probably the two types of 'Thank you', 唔該 (m4 goi1) and 多謝 (do1 ze6). We went over this pair in this post. Today, let's look at the different 'Two's, namely 兩 (loeng5) and 二 (ji6).
Overview
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兩 (loeng5) is used when expressing quantity.
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二 (ji6) is used when expressing sequence.
兩 (loeng5)
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When expressing quantity, we can use the structure 兩(loeng5) + Measure word.
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We also use 兩 (loeng5) to express time.
| 2 o'clock | 2 minutes | 2 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 兩點 | 兩分鐘 | 兩個鐘 |
| loeng5 dim2 | loeng5 fan1 zung1 | loeng5 go3 zung1 |
二 (ji6)
When counting from 1-10 for example, we say:
一二三四五六七八九十
jat1 ji6 saam1 sei3 ng5 luk6 cat1 baat3 gau2 sap6
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When expressing dates, we use 二 (ji6)
take this date for example, 2 Feb 2025 would be:
二零二五年 二月 二號
ji6 ling4 ji6 ng5 nin4 ji6 jyut6 ji6 hou6
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When expressing sequences/ 'the second' , we can use the structure 第二 (dai6 ji6) + measure word.
Some more examples:
第二次 (dai6 ji6 ci3) - the second time
第二朝 (dai6 ji6 ziu1) - the next morning
Your turn!
Answer the following questions according to the illustration.
- 依家幾多點？(ji4 gaa1 gei2 do1 dim2) - What time is it now?
- 有幾多張凳？(jau5 gei2 do1 zoeng1 dang3) - How many chairs are there?
- 有幾多杯咖啡？(jau5 gei2 do1 bui1 gaa3 fe1) - How many cups of coffee are there?
- 第幾幅畫係藍色？(dai6 gei2 fuk1 waa2 hai6 laam4 sik1) - Which painting is blue?
- 咖啡幾多錢？(gaa3 fe1 gei2 do1 cin2) - How much does the coffee cost?
- Menu上面有幾多樣嘢？(Menu soeng6 min6 jau5 gei2 do1 joeng6 je5) - How many items are on the menu?
Answers
- 依家兩點 (ji4 gaa1 loeng5 dim2) - It's two o'clock now
- 有兩張凳 (jau5 loeng5 zoeng1 dang3) - There are two chairs
- 有兩杯咖啡 (jau5 loeng5 bui1 gaa3 fe1) - There are two cups of coffee
- 第二幅畫係藍色 (dai6 ji6 fuk1 waa2 hai6 laam4 sik1) - The second painting is blue
- 咖啡二十二蚊 (gaa3 fe1 ji6 sap6 ji6 man1) - The coffee is twenty-two dollars
- Menu上面有兩樣嘢 (Menu soeng6 min6 jau5 loeng5 joeng6 je5) - There are two items on the menu