二 — how to write the kanji for “two”
二 (“two” and “two radical”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in first grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (9th). It is also where katakana ニ came from. On its own it is the word ni, “two; 2”. Read ni, it forms 二月 (“February”), 十二 (“twelve”) and 十二月 (“December”); the native reading futa gives 二人 (“two persons”) and 二つ (“two”). Chinese reads it èr, “two”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 2
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 二 (“two”)
- On
- ニ, ジ
- Kun
- ふた·つ, ふた, ふたたび
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 2 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Kana from 二
- Katakana ニ, one part of the kanji
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ニ ni, ジ ji (rare)
- Kun (native)
- ふた·つ futa-tsu, ふた futa (rare), ふたたび futatabi (rare)
- Meanings
- two; two radical
- Read ni
- 二月 十二 十二月 二百 二塁 二死
- Read futa
- 二人 二つ
- School year
- first grade
- Newspaper rank
- 9th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 이 i
- Common words
- 67 in JMdict
Words with 二
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 二人 | ふたり futari | two persons; two people |
| 二月 | にがつ nigatsu | February; second month of the lunar calendar |
| 十二 | じゅうに juuni | twelve; 12 |
| 十二月 | じゅうにがつ juunigatsu | December; twelfth month of the lunar calendar |
| 二つ | ふたつ futatsu | two |
| 二百 | にひゃく nihyaku | 200; two hundred |
| 二塁 | にるい nirui | second base |
| 二死 | にし nishi | two out; two down (and one to go) |
| 二塁打 | にるいだ niruida | two-base hit; double |
| 二度 | にど nido | two times; twice |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
JLPT N5, in list order: