双 meaning and stroke order
Two; double; pair
How to write 双, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 双
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- two
- double
- pair
- both
- even (number)
- variant of 雙|双[shuang1]
How 双 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two hands 又 side-by-side.
Radical: 又 (and), shared by 21 characters on this site.
How to remember 双
双 is two copies of 又 (yòu), a hand, placed side by side. Two hands together make a pair, so 双 means pair or both.
双 (shuāng) is a measure word for things that come in pairs, like shoes, chopsticks, socks and eyes. It also starts many words meaning both or double, such as 双方 (shuāngfāng) both sides and 双手 (shuāng shǒu) both hands. Example: 我买了一双鞋。(Wǒ mǎi le yì shuāng xié.) I bought a pair of shoes.
Common mistake: Learners often use 双 for any group of two, but it only fits natural pairs. For two separate items, like two books, say 两本书 (liǎng běn shū), not 一双书. Also keep the tone flat and high: shuāng, not shuǎng (爽).
Common words with 双
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 双方 | shuāngfāng | bilateral; both sides | HSK 3 |
| 双手 | shuāng shǒu | both hands | HSK 5 |
| 双打 | shuāngdǎ | doubles (in sports) | HSK 6 |
| 双胞胎 | shuāngbāotāi | twin | HSK 7-9 |
| 双重 | shuāngchóng | double | HSK 7-9 |
| 双赢 | shuāngyíng | profitable to both sides; a win-win situation | HSK 7-9 |
| 双向 | shuāngxiàng | bidirectional; two-way | HSK 7-9 |
| 双边 | shuāngbiān | bilateral | HSK 7-9 |
| 举世无双 | jǔshì-wúshuāng | unrivaled (idiom); world number one; unique | HSK 7-9 |
| 双眼 | shuāngyǎn | the two eyes | |
| 双倍 | shuāngbèi | twofold; double | |
| 双腿 | shuāngtuǐ | legs; both legs | |
| 双语 | shuāngyǔ | bilingual | |
| 双脚 | shuāngjiǎo | two legs; both feet |
双 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 双
Learning 双 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 双
How many strokes are in 双?
双 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 双 mean?
双 (shuāng) means two; double; pair. A common word with it is 双方 (shuāngfāng), meaning "bilateral; both sides".
How do you pronounce 双?
双 is pronounced shuāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 双?
The radical of 双 is 又, which carries the idea of "and". Dictionaries list 双 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 双?
The traditional form of 双 is 雙. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 双 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 双 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 双 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 双 and 对 as measure words?
Both can mean pair, but 双 is mainly for things worn or used together, like shoes, gloves and chopsticks. 对 (duì) is often used for pairs of people or matched items, like 一对夫妻 (yí duì fūqī) a married couple or 一对耳环 (yí duì ěrhuán) a pair of earrings.
How do you say twins and doubles in Chinese?
Twins is 双胞胎 (shuāngbāotāi). In sports like tennis or badminton, doubles is 双打 (shuāngdǎ), while singles is 单打 (dāndǎ).