Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 と 二ふた 人り で 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to do something together, just the two of them
I watched a movie together with her, just the two of us.
二ふた 人り で 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 に 行い く for two people to go somewhere together
The two of us went on a trip together.
Expressions 二人ふたり して together (of two people); both (of you, them, etc.) Kanji 二 two, two radical (no. 7) Related words 両人 is a formal or legal term meaning 'both persons,' while 二人 is the everyday word for 'two people.'
二人 just means 'two people', while 二人とも adds emphasis meaning 'both of them together'.
二人 is the everyday, neutral word for 'two people', whereas 両氏 is formal and used mainly in news or official writing about respected individuals.
Don't confuse with 二人称 is a grammar term for 'second person,' whereas 二人 simply means 'two people'; learners sometimes mix up the two because of the shared kanji.
三人 (さんにん ) means 'three people' with the regular on'yomi reading, while 二人 (ふたり ) means 'two people' and uses an irregular native Japanese reading that learners often mix up with さんにん -style numbers.
Word family· 14 portion for two people; serving for two
second person
twosome; duo; pair
Chloranthus serratus (species of flowering plant)
just the two of them; alone together
Show 5 more Show fewer two by two; in pairs; as a couple
both (people); the two of them
two people sharing one role
riding double; two people riding together
double murder
See all 14 in Explore →
Written forms 二人 Usage 69% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
ふたり Usage 16%
Kana spelling; used for clarity, in children's materials, or when the kanji is not needed.
２人 Usage 15% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
ににん
Etymology Compound of 二 (two) and 人 (person). The reading ふたり is a native Japanese reading (kun'yomi), while ににん is the Sino-Japanese reading (on'yomi) used in formal counting.
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