二 Kanji: Meaning, Readings and Stroke Order

二: two; second. JLPT N5; 2 strokes.

Readings

On readings

ニ、ジ

Kun readings

ふた-、ふた.つ

Romaji

ni, ji, futa

Study notes

二 is the number two; it also indicates 'second' and appears in words that refer to pairs or double things.

On readings: ニ in 二月 (にがつ, February), 二回 (にかい, twice), 二重 (にじゅう, double), 二倍 (にばい, double). ジ is rare: 不二 (ふじ, peerless).

Kun readings: ふた, especially in 二つ (ふたつ, two, two objects) and 二人 (ふたり, two people). 二日 (ふつか) indicates the 2nd of the month or two days.

Special readings: 二十日 (はつか, the 20th of the month; twenty days) and 二十歳 (はたち, twenty years old) are read as whole words.

Remember: 二 is written with two horizontal strokes, the upper one shorter than the lower one.

Example words

• 二つ (ふたつ) — two things
• 二月 (にがつ) — February
• 二人 (ふたり) — two people
• 二たび (ふたたび) — again; for a second time

Example sentences

ケーキを二つ買いました。

keeki wo futatsu kaimashita.

I bought two cakes.

Stroke order

Follow the steps in order. Each new stroke is highlighted.

Stroke paths: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0. Sequential diagrams derived from the original paths.