Chinese word

两位

Pronunciation

Pinyinliǎng wèi

Meaning

  • measure wordtwo people

Example

欢迎，两位请这边坐。huān yíng liǎng wèi qǐng zhè biān zuò

Welcome. Both of you, please sit over here.

Illustration for 两位 (two people)

More examples

请给两位客人推荐套餐吧。qǐng gěi liǎng wèi kè rén tuī jiàn tào cān ba

Please recommend a set meal to the two guests.

Core concept

Two people viewed together as honored guests in a service setting.

Common phrases

  • 两位客人liǎng wèi kè rén

    two guests

  • 两位朋友liǎng wèi péng yǒu

    two friends

  • 两位顾客liǎng wèi gù kè

    two customers

Similar words

两个人liǎng gè rén: An ordinary conversational measure phrase used to count two people.
两个liǎng gè: A widely used measure phrase for a quantity of two people or things.
两名liǎng míng: A courteous measure phrase for two people in formal situations and written language.

Definition in Chinese

在问候、招待或订位时用作量词短语，表示两名人物或客人的礼貌说法。zài wèn hòu zhāo dài huò dìng wèi shí yòng zuò liàng cí duán yǔ biǎo shì liǎng míng rén wù huò kè rén de lǐ mào shuō fǎ

Word origin

两 (liǎng, "two") supplies the number, while 位 (wèi, "place; rank") came to count people by highlighting their standing and so adds respect.

Usage tips

  • Chinese commonly uses a measure word when counting people, unlike English, which often puts a number directly before the noun.

Other meanings

  • two guestsmeasure word

Opposites

  • 一位yí wèione personmeasure word

Related words

  • 两位数liǎng wèi shùtwo-digit numbernoun

Word lists with this word