二人(ふたり)

二人(ふたり) uses the native Japanese reading, not the on'yomi ににん. This is an irregular counter that must be memorized.

Counting patterns

• 一人(ひとり): one person
• 二人(ふたり): two people
• 三人(さんにん) and above: number + 人(にん) (note 四人(よにん))

Common patterns

• 二人(ふたり)で: together (as a pair)
• 二人(ふたり)とも: both of them
• 二人(ふたり)暮(ぐ)らし: living as a couple
• 二人(ふたり)連(づ)れ: a party of two

Usage

二人(ふたり)で emphasizes doing something as a pair, often implying intimacy or exclusivity: 二人(ふたり)で話(はな)しましょう (Let's talk, just the two of us).

Register

In service settings — restaurants, hotels, reception desks — staff count guests with the polite counter 〜名様(めいさま) instead, saying 二名様(にめいさま) for a party of two. Customers themselves normally just say 二人(ふたり)です.