二

Two Radical (二)

èr · 2 strokes

The two radical (二) is a radical found in Chinese. It appears in 9 characters related to two and associated concepts. 9 characters: 3 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system. Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus).

Radical vs. Component: 二 is also a character component. As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For component-specific details including role analysis and position patterns, see the Two Component (二) page.

Two Radical at a Glance

Stroke Count2
Total Characters9
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 1 (3 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes4
ClassificationKangxi Radicals

All Two Radical Characters

HSK 1 (3 characters)

些xiēclassifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several二èrtwo五wǔfive

HSK 3 (1 characters)

于yú(of time or place) in

HSK 4 (3 characters)

互hùmutual云yún(classical) to say亚yàAsia

HSK 5 (1 characters)

亏kuīto lose (money)

HSK 6 (1 characters)

井jǐngJing, one of the 28 constellations of Chinese astronomy

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the two radical mean in Chinese characters?
The two radical (二) signals a semantic connection to two-related concepts. When you see 二 in a character, it typically indicates the character's meaning involves two or associated ideas. It appears in 9 characters in the HSK character set. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system, the traditional standard for organizing Chinese characters.
How many characters use the two radical?
There are 9 characters with the two radical (二) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 3 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6. The distribution across HSK levels reflects how fundamental two-related concepts are at each stage of Mandarin learning.
What are the most common two radical characters?
By frequency of use, the most common characters with the two radical (二) are: 于 (yú, "(of time or place) in"), 些 (xiē, "classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several"), 二 (èr, "two"), 五 (wǔ, "five"), 亚 (yà, "Asia"). These high-frequency characters are among the first two-related characters most learners encounter.
What HSK levels include two radical characters?
Characters with the two radical (二) appear across 5 HSK levels: 3 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6. The largest concentration is at HSK 1 with 3 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common two-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Radical classifications on this page follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首), the standard set of 214 radicals codified in the Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, 1716). Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision.