Definitions

èr two (banker's anti-fraud numeral); to betray

Etymology

A banker's  two with accents to prevent forgery

About

The character "贰" finds its origins in early conceptions of duplication or secondary placement, with its structural composition merging the radical for "shell currency" with a component signifying the number two, thereby linking it historically to matters of value and accounting. Its meaning gradually narrowed from a broader sense of assistance or replication to specifically denote the numeral two in formal and financial contexts, where its use aimed to prevent tampering in records. The traditional form "貳" retains the "貝" element to emphasize this economic association, and although the character's graphical form has seen modifications over time, its fundamental role as a formal numeral has remained stable.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我有一张元纸币。

Wǒ yǒu yī zhāng èr yuán zhǐbì.

I have a two-yuan bill.

请支付佰元整。

Qǐng zhīfù èr bǎi yuán zhěng.

Please pay two hundred yuan exactly.

他的存款是万元。

Tā de cúnkuǎn shì èr wàn yuán.

His deposit is twenty thousand yuan.

发票上写着拾元。

Fāpiào shàng xiězhe èr shí yuán.

The invoice says twenty yuan.

这本书售价拾伍元。

Zhè běn shū shòujià èr shí wǔ yuán.

This book is priced at twenty-five yuan.

合同中金额为仟元。

Hétóng zhōng jīn'é wéi èr qiān yuán.

In the contract, the amount is two thousand yuan.

他因心被公司开除。

Tā yīn èr xīn bèi gōngsī kāichú.

He was fired from the company for disloyalty.

银行账户余额为万叁仟元。

Yínháng zhànghù yú'é wéi èr wàn sān qiān yuán.

The bank account balance is twenty-three thousand yuan.