two
two — number
1. the written symbol or spoken name for the number that comes after one and before
the written symbol or spoken name for the number that comes after one and before three.
Two is the smallest even number and the only even prime number.
Linh wrote a neat two at the top of her math worksheet.
number symbol in writing
If you add one and one, the answer is always two.
The number two appears on the bus route that goes past the hospital.
A rolling die showed a two, so Rohan moved only two spaces forward.
常見錯誤
two — adjective
1. having a quantity of one added to one; placed before a noun to indicate that the
having a quantity of one added to one; placed before a noun to indicate that the number of people or things is exactly 2.
Élise bought two tickets for the afternoon film at the cinema.
two + countable noun
The library has two entrances, one on the north side and one on the south.
Dahlia invited two friends from her dance class to her birthday party.
Eshe carried two heavy shopping bags all the way home from the market.
The old house had two bedrooms but only one bathroom on the ground floor.
- a couple of
informal and slightly vaguer than a precise 'two'
常見錯誤
2. used to indicate the second item in a numbered sequence or the position immediat
used to indicate the second item in a numbered sequence or the position immediately after the first.
Karim's seat was in row two, right by the window of the aircraft.
Please turn to page two of the instruction booklet for the safety warnings.
page / row / line + two
Rohan lives in apartment two, just across the hall from Theo.
The number two bus stops right outside the train station every ten minutes.
Aoi lives two doors down from the corner shop on Maple Street.
- second
used before the noun ('the second row') rather than after it ('row two')
用法筆記
When used as an adjective indicating sequence ('page two', 'row two'), 'two' follows the noun directly without 'the'. This is different from ordinal 'second' ('the second page').
常見錯誤
two — pronoun
1. two specific people or things that have already been mentioned or are clearly kn
two specific people or things that have already been mentioned or are clearly known from the situation.
Linh and Rohan applied for the job, but only two were called for an interview.
Élise offered me three flavours of ice cream, and I chose two for my cone.
Dahlia had several essays to finish, and two were due on Friday.
Of the four candidates who applied, only two had the right experience for the role.
Eshe found several lost kittens, and two were hiding under the porch.
- both
refers to exactly two together, not just any two; 'both' implies 'the two' as a pair
用法筆記
This pronoun sense is used when the noun it refers to is clear from context. 'Two of them' or 'two of the...' is a very common pattern. Unlike the adjective sense, 'two' here stands alone as the subject or object of the verb.
常見錯誤
2. a small and usually imprecise number of things, used in phrases like 'a day or t
a small and usually imprecise number of things, used in phrases like 'a day or two' to mean a few without being exact.
Christopher said he would be back in a day or two at the very latest.
a day or two / a week or two = approximately
Karim added just two or three spoonfuls of sugar to the coffee, not more.
The restaurant kitchen will close for two or three days while the chef is away.
Constanza spotted two or three familiar faces in the audience before the speech began.
Jin mentioned a thing or two about fixing old motorcycles that surprised everyone.
- a few
more general; 'a few' can mean three or more, while 'two or three' keeps the range small
用法筆記
Common in fixed phrases ('a day or two', 'two or three') where the exact number does not matter. Distinguish from sense 1 (pronoun), where 'two' means exactly two known items; here the number is intentionally vague.
two — noun
1. the number that comes after one and before three, considered as a concrete thing
the number that comes after one and before three, considered as a concrete thing such as a written digit, a score, or a value.
The child carefully drew a two and a three on the piece of paper.
Aoi rolled the dice and got a two, so her piece moved two steps ahead.
a two = the value of two on a die
The final score was a two to one victory for the visiting football team.
Linh's house number has a two at the end, so it is number forty-two.
Eli said that multiplying any even number by two always gives an even result.
用法筆記
Unlike the number POS (which treats 'two' as the abstract concept or name of the number), this noun sense treats 'two' as a countable thing — you can say 'a two', 'the two', 'two twos'. It is used for scores, dice values, written digits, and similar concrete references.
2. the person or thing that is ranked second in a competition, race, or ordered lis
the person or thing that is ranked second in a competition, race, or ordered list.
Eli finished a close two in the hundred-metre race at the school sports day.
Christopher came in a strong two in the regional spelling competition last spring.
finish / come in + a two
Dahlia was ranked number two among all the violin students in the music academy.
The team finished a respectable two in the league after winning most of their matches.
Aoi was voted the number two player in the tournament by the coaching staff.
- runner-up
more formal; specifically the person who finishes second in a contest
- first
the top position in a ranking
用法筆記
Usually preceded by 'a' or 'number' ('a close two', 'number two'). The determiner 'a' treats the rank position as a countable outcome. Not to be confused with the adjective sense 'SECOND IN ORDER', which modifies a noun directly ('page two').
3. any collection of two individuals or components regarded as a whole, such as a p
any collection of two individuals or components regarded as a whole, such as a pair, a duo, or a portion split in half.
The two of them had been best friends since they started kindergarten together.
the two of them = the pair
Karim and Constanza make a strong two when they work together on group projects.
Rohan cut the long rope into two with a sharp pair of garden scissors.
The dessert was for two, but Jin ate most of it before the others arrived.
Eshe divided the pizza into two so that both children could have an equal share.
- pair
suggests the two items naturally belong together (a pair of shoes); 'two' is more neutral
用法筆記
Often appears in the patterns 'the two of [plural noun/pronoun]' or 'into two'. The latter means 'into two halves or pieces'. This sense overlaps partly with 'pair', but 'two' is less specific about the relationship between the members.