zwei
/t͡svaɪ/
zwei is the German word for two.
When you want to emphasize the combination or the joint aspect of two things, you can use the word beide, which translates to "both".
Which one should you use?
While zwei is the standard form, you may encounter zwo in informal speech or specifically within military contexts. If you are referring to a position in a sequence rather than a quantity, use the ordinal number zweite, which means "second".
How do you pronounce it?
/tsvaɪ/
Did you know?
- There is a common German idiom zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen. It means to kill two flies with one slap, which is the equivalent of the English 'kill two birds with one stone'.
- The variant zwo is not just a random shortening but a remnant of the ancient feminine form of the word. It is still used today to avoid confusion with zwei in noisy environments.
- German speakers often use zwei as a shorthand for 'two o'clock' in casual conversation. Saying um zwei implies the time of day without needing to specify the word for 'hours'.
Examples in context
- Bitte bringen Sie mir zwei Tassen Kaffee.Please bring me two cups of coffee.
- Ich brauche zwo Kugelschreiber.I need two ballpoint pens.
- Sie hat zwei Kinder.She has two children.
- Wir haben zwei Hunde.We have two dogs.
- Meine Nummer lautet 0176 – zwei – vier.My number is 0176 – two – four.
- Es ist zwei Uhr.It is two o'clock.
- Treffen wir uns um zwei.Let's meet at two.
- Ich bin der Zweite.I am the second.
- Sie ist die Zweite in der Reihe.She is the second in line.
- Ich habe zwei Hunde.I have two dogs.
- Es sind zwei Kilometer.It is two kilometers.
- Zwei Kaffee, bitte.Two coffees, please.
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are ordering food at a cafe.
- SarahWie viele Brötchen möchtest du, Julian?How many rolls would you like, Julian?
- JulianIch nehme zwei Brötchen.I'll take two rolls.
- SarahUnd für mich auch zwei.And two for me too.
- JulianAlles klar, dann bestellen wir.All right, then let's order.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry Zwei.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zwei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
