二(に)

に

number

two

1. two

The number two. A fundamental counting number used throughout Japanese. Like other numbers, に combines with various counters and may change pronunciation in some combinations.

二(ふた)人(り)で行(い)きましょう。

Let's go together (the two of us).

コーヒーを二(ふた)つください。

Two coffees, please.

二(に)月(がつ)は短(みじか)いです。

February is short.

二月 means February

りんごを二(ふた)つ買(か)いました。一(ひと)つは赤(あか)くて、一(ひと)つは緑(みどり)です。

I bought two apples. One is red and one is green.

私(わたし)には子供(こども)が二(ふた)人(り)います。上(うえ)の子(こ)は女(おんな)の子(こ)で、下(した)の子(こ)は男(おとこ)の子(こ)です。

I have two children. The older one is a girl, and the younger one is a boy.

二(に) is the Sino-Japanese reading for two. The native Japanese reading is ふた, used in specific counting forms.

Pronunciation

に: standard reading, used with most counters
ふた: native reading, used in 二(ふた)つ (two things) and 二(ふた)人(り) (two people — special reading)

Counting patterns

二人(ににん) (read ににん): two people; this reading is rare, surviving in set phrases such as 二人三脚(ににんさんきゃく) (three-legged race)
二(ふた)人(り) (ふたり reading): two people — the everyday word
二(に)冊(さつ): two books
二(に)台(だい): two machines/vehicles
二(に)本(ほん): two long objects (にほん)
二(に)百(ひゃく): two hundred

Common expressions

二度(にど)と: never again
二言目(ふたことめ)には: at every opportunity (lit. every second word)
二者択一(にしゃたくいつ): a choice between two options

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:49 · Revised 2026.10.8 9:59

00500/00736_ni