二十两 (èr shí liǎng) — (measure word) twenty liang (unit of weight or currency, approximately equal to 20 liang)

Definition

二十两 is a traditional weight unit (∼750 g) and a currency unit (taels of silver), now mainly read in classical texts and historical fiction. One 两 is ∼37.5 g; the phrase is fixed at twenty, not used as a count frame for other numbers.

classifier
twenty liang (unit of weight or currency, approximately equal to 20 liang)

Examples

  • 二十两。
    Tā gěi le wǒ èr shí liǎng yín zi.
    He gave me twenty taels of silver.
  • 二十两。
    Zhè bāo yào de zhòng liàng dà yuē shì èr shí liǎng.
    The weight of this medicinal packet is about twenty taels.
  • 二十两。
    Tā yòng èr shí liǎng mǎi le yì pǐ hǎo bù.
    She used twenty taels to buy a good bolt of cloth.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 兩; 两 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 兩 is described as combining 一 and 㒳. The simplified 两 is a later abbreviation.

Open 两 →

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