Definition of the word two

Pronunciation of vocabulary two

twonumber

hai

/tuː//tuː/

Origin of the word two

The origin of the word "two" can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic language, which was spoken by ancient Germanic-speaking peoples around 500-1000 AD. The Proto-Germanic word for "two" was *twa. Over time, this word evolved in different Germanic languages. In Old English, it was spelled "twæ," pronounced "twah." In Old Norse, it was "þva," and in Old Frisian, it was "tye." As Germanic people migrated and interacted with other language groups, the word "two" also began to evolve in these new languages. For example, in Old High German, it was "zwei," and in Old Saxon, it was "twai." The English word "two" is related to words for "two" in other Germanic languages, including German "zwei," Dutch "twee," and Danish "to." The origin of the Proto-Germanic word "twa" is unclear, but it may come from an early Germanic word meaning "1/2" or "two-faced." The Proto-Indo-European root *dwei, which means "two," is also related to the English words "third" (from OE "þridda," meaning "third," from "þreo-," meaning "three") and "fourth" (from OE "ðridao-," meaning "four-"). In short, the word "two" has a fascinating history, originating in the Proto-Germanic language and evolving over time in various Germanic languages, with ancestral roots in the Proto-Indo-European language.

Vocabulary summary two

typeadjective

meaningtwo, pair

examplehe is two

typenoun

meaningtwo

examplehe is two

meaningpair

examplein twos; two and two; two by two: one pair at a time, one pair at a time

exampleone or two

meaningtwo (card); two (dice...)

Example of vocabulary twonamespace

  • There are two apples on the kitchen counter.

    Có hai quả táo trên quầy bếp.

  • She has two cats named Mittens and Whiskers.

    Cô ấy có hai con mèo tên là Mittens và Whiskers.

  • The phone rang exactly at two o'clock in the afternoon.

    Điện thoại reo đúng vào lúc hai giờ chiều.

  • The basketball team won their second game in a row.

    Đội bóng rổ đã giành chiến thắng thứ hai liên tiếp.

  • After completing her second year of college, Emma decided to study abroad.

    Sau khi hoàn thành năm thứ hai đại học, Emma quyết định đi du học.

  • The hotel has two swimming pools – one indoors and one outdoors.

    Khách sạn có hai hồ bơi – một trong nhà và một ngoài trời.

  • In the past two weeks, Jack has run two half marathons.

    Trong hai tuần qua, Jack đã chạy hai cuộc bán marathon.

  • Two of my friends are studying engineering at the same university.

    Hai người bạn của tôi đang học ngành kỹ thuật tại cùng một trường đại học.

  • The series finale of my favorite show aired exactly two years ago today.

    Tập cuối của bộ phim truyền hình yêu thích của tôi đã phát sóng vào đúng ngày này cách đây hai năm.

  • The price of gasoline has increased by two cents per liter in the past week.

    Giá xăng đã tăng hai xu một lít trong tuần qua.

Words, synonyms, related vocabulary two

Idioms of vocabulary two

be in two minds about something/about doing something
to be unable to decide what you think about somebody/something, or whether to do something or not
  • I was in two minds about the book (= I didn't know if I liked it or not).
  • She's in two minds about accepting his invitation.
    • a day, moment, pound, etc. or two
    one or a few days, moments, pounds, etc.
  • May I borrow it for a day or two?
    • fall between two stools
    (British English)to fail to be or to get either of two choices, both of which would have been acceptable
    in two
    in or into two pieces or halves
  • He broke the bar of chocolate in two and gave me half.
    • in twos and threes
    two or three at a time; in small numbers
  • People arrived in twos and threes.
    • in two shakes | in a couple of shakes
    (informal)very soon
  • We’ll be there in a couple of shakes.
    • it takes two to do something
    (saying)one person cannot be completely responsible for something
  • You can't put all the blame on him. It takes two to make a marriage.
    • it takes two to tango
    (informal)used to say that two people or groups, and not just one, are responsible for something that has happened (usually something bad)
    not have two cents, pennies, brain cells, etc. to rub together
    (informal)to be very poor, stupid, etc.
    put two and two together
    to guess the truth from what you see, hear, etc.
  • He's inclined to put two and two together and make five (= reaches the wrong conclusion from what he sees, hears, etc.).
    • that makes two of us
    (informal)I am in the same position or I agree with you
  • ‘I'm tired!’ ‘That makes two of us!’
    • two/ten a penny
    very common and therefore not valuable
  • Teachers of history are ten a penny.
    • two sides of the same coin
    used to talk about two ways of looking at the same situation

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