<p>As @songyuanyao says <code>十二只老虎</code> and <code>二十二只老虎</code> are correct. </p>

<p>You cannot use <code>兩</code> here unless you literally meant to say "12 <em>ounces</em> of tiger (meat?)". The reason is that <strong><code>兩</code> actually means "<em>one pair</em>".</strong> That is, <code>两只老虎</code> is "<em>a pair of tigers</em>". Notice that it is specifically <strong><em>one</strong> pair</em>; which means you cannot use <code>二十两</code> to mean "twenty pairs" either.</p>

<p>Now, <code>兩</code> does get used in bigger numbers. But that's only strictly for <strong>two of</strong> something". For example:</p>

<ul>
<li>一千兩百 - "<em>One thousand and <strong>two</strong> hundred</em>"</li>
<li>兩百 - "<strong><em>two</strong> hundred</em>"</li>
<li>兩百兆 - "<strong><em>two</strong> hundred trillion</em>"</li>
</ul>

<p>In these cases, you are saying "<strong>a pair</strong> of one hundred", regardless of the rest of the number. This works because 100 is a named number in Chinese (as it is in English). The other numbers this works for are:</p>

<ul>
<li>千 - thousand</li>
<li>萬 - ten thousand</li>
<li>億 - hundred million </li>
<li>兆 - trillion / million</li>
<li>...and other ridiculously large numbers that you'll likely never ever encounter.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-20T04:32:17.970Z
2014-08-20T04:41:17.193Z
2014-08-20T04:41:17.193Z
Semaphore
<p>I learned that two tigers is said "两只老虎" but I wonder how to say 
twelve tigers, twenty two tigers in Chinese.
Is that 十二只老虎 and 二十二只老虎  or 十两只老虎 and 二十两只老虎</p>

<vocabulary>
How to say "twelve tigers"
# How to say "twelve tigers"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-20)

I learned that two tigers is said "两只老虎" but I wonder how to say
twelve tigers, twenty two tigers in Chinese.
Is that 十二只老虎 and 二十二只老虎 or 十两只老虎 and 二十两只老虎

**Tags:** vocabulary


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-08-20. Score: 6

As @songyuanyao says `十二只老虎` and `二十二只老虎` are correct.

You cannot use `兩` here unless you literally meant to say "12 *ounces* of tiger (meat?)". The reason is that **`兩` actually means "*one pair*".** That is, `两只老虎` is "*a pair of tigers*". Notice that it is specifically ***one*** pair; which means you cannot use `二十两` to mean "twenty pairs" either.

Now, `兩` does get used in bigger numbers. But that's only strictly for **two of** something". For example:

* 一千兩百 - "*One thousand and **two** hundred*"
* 兩百 - "***two*** hundred"
* 兩百兆 - "***two*** hundred trillion"

In these cases, you are saying "**a pair** of one hundred", regardless of the rest of the number. This works because 100 is a named number in Chinese (as it is in English). The other numbers this works for are:

* 千 - thousand
* 萬 - ten thousand
* 億 - hundred million
* 兆 - trillion / million
* ...and other ridiculously large numbers that you'll likely never ever encounter.


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