Meaning of 双
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- two
- double
- pair
- both
- even (number)
- surname Shuang
- variant of 雙|双[shuang1]
How to use 双
As a measure word, 双 counts things that come in natural pairs, like shoes, chopsticks, socks, eyes and hands. As an adjective, it means double or both, as in 双方 (shuāngfāng) and 双手 (shuāng shǒu). Example: 我买了一双鞋。(Wǒ mǎi le yì shuāng xié.) I bought a pair of shoes.
双 (shuāng) is made of two 又 (yòu) side by side. Think of 又 as a hand, so two hands together make a pair.
Common mistake: Learners often use 双 for any group of two, but it is only for things that naturally form a set, so two friends are 两个朋友 (liǎng gè péngyou), not 一双朋友. Also, pants and glasses take 条 (tiáo) and 副 (fù), not 双.
双 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
双 shuāng · two · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 双.
| 双方 | shuāngfāng | bilateral; both sides |
| 双手 | shuāng shǒu | both hands |
| 双打 | shuāngdǎ | doubles (in sports) |
| 双胞胎 | shuāngbāotāi | twin |
| 双重 | shuāngchóng | double |
| 双赢 | shuāngyíng | profitable to both sides; a win-win situation |
| 双向 | shuāngxiàng | bidirectional; two-way |
| 双边 | shuāngbiān | bilateral |
| 举世无双 | jǔshì-wúshuāng | unrivaled (idiom); world number one; unique |
| 双眼 | shuāngyǎn | the two eyes |
| 双倍 | shuāngbèi | twofold; double |
| 双腿 | shuāngtuǐ | legs; both legs |
Questions about 双
What does 双 mean?
双 (shuāng) means "two; double" and is used as a measure word and adjective.
How do you write 双?
双 is made of 1 character: 双 (4 strokes). That is 4 strokes in total.
Is 双 an HSK word?
Yes. 双 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 双 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 双 is written 雙.
What is the difference between 双 and 对 (duì) for pairs?
双 is mostly for body parts and things worn or used as a matching set, like 一双筷子 (yì shuāng kuàizi), a pair of chopsticks. 对 is often for two people or things that are paired up, 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 even and odd numbers with 双?
An even number is 双数 (shuāngshù) and an odd number is 单数 (dānshù). You will see 双 and 单 used this way for things like even and odd dates or seat numbers.