this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
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[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (4 children)

No one has mentioned special 2, 两! It’s only for counting certain things.

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I mean... in English we also use different words, such as "pair" and "dozen", for some specific numbers.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

that's because the english language numbers are based off of base 12, not base 10

[–] Bassman1805@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

But those are just words for "a group of a special size"

Some eastern languages have totally different counting words depending on WHAT you're counting. One set of number-words for flat things, another set for long things, another set for printed/bound things, another set for things with handles...

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 5 points 1 month ago

Two guys carrying a table?

[–] kunaltyagi@programming.dev 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What about accounting numbers? They'll make anyone cry

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

only if you have to do them by hand or hunt pennies. other than that they're simple/

[–] wylinka@szmer.info 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Huh. I learnt that 两 is for counting everything. Er is only used if you spell out a number. Like you can't say "erge ren", must be "liangge ren". Maybe you're confusing it with another liang character, the measure for cars?

Sorry, I might be wrong, my Chinese isn't the best.