<p><strong>一倍</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuttle's Learners</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>fold, time</p>
<p>这个学校的学生人数比我们学校多一倍。(=这个学校的学生人数是我们学校的两倍。)</p>
<p>Zhège xuéxiào de xuésheng rénshù bǐ wǒmen xuéxiào duō yí bèi. (= Zhège xuéxiào de xuésheng rénshù shì wǒmen xuéxiào de liǎng bèi.)
The student number of this school is twice as big as that of our school. (—&gt; The student population of this school is twice of ours.)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>多一倍 is translated, first in Chinese as 两倍 so it's easy to see how confusing this phrasing is! But....</p>
<p><strong>两倍</strong></p>
<p><strong>Oxford</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>② [indicating difference in quantity]</p>
<p>这一带水稻产量比小麦高两倍</p>
<p>The output of rice is three times that of wheat in this area</p>
</blockquote>
<p>两倍 has become <strong>three times</strong> here(!).</p>
<p><strong>but</strong>(!) - still from <em>Oxford</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>你的工资相当于我的两倍。</p>
<p>Your salary is twice that of mine.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Basically you've really got to look at the context to figure out the meaning!</p>
<p>Your sentence above
<code>开车最少比骑自行车快一倍。</code> the 快 here has the same effect as 多 so it's really saying it's &quot;one time as fast&quot; which is really &quot;twice as fast&quot;...</p>
<p>Hope that makes sense</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T17:37:40.150Z
Regarding the last paragraph, 比骑自行车快一倍 is not saying it's "one time as fast" but "one time faster", which is legitimately equivalent to "twice as fast".
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T17:12:16.223Z
2014-08-26T17:23:10.527Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Mou某
<p>Understand that you have an accpeted answer already and it's correct.  I am adding this in hope to make it simple to understand:</p>

<p>一倍 : 100%<br>
两倍 : 200%  </p>

<p>They are the same.  So when you are saying 快一倍, it means <code>100% faster</code>, or <code>twice the speed</code>, which means 200% of the origin speed - 两倍速度.  The confusion comes in because when 一倍 is used, we <code>ADD</code> the value by itself, while 两倍 we <code>MULTIPLE</code> the value by 2.  And we all know that A + A (一倍) = 2A (两倍)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-28T06:22:19.937Z
This is exactly what I deduced from the accepted answer. That's a nice way of putting it though.
pg-robban
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-27T20:52:23.570Z
2014-08-27T20:52:23.570Z
Alex
<p>I think the more correct way to use 一倍/兩倍 is answered by user3306356 and Caff Huang. </p>

<p>But, in most contexts, 快一倍 and 快兩倍 have just same meaning. Because if we use 快兩倍 as "x * 3", the meaning will be too vague to understand.</p>

<p>If we really have to say something larger than two times of a value, such as "A = B * 3", a more practical way will be "A是B的3倍" instead of "A比B高兩倍".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T17:21:09.763Z
2014-08-27T02:42:42.247Z
2014-08-27T02:42:42.247Z
Peterlee
<p>If some words that mean "is" (e.g <strong>是/相当于</strong> ) are used, then it's literal times. </p>

<p>你的速度 <strong>是</strong> 我的两倍。</p>

<p>Your speed <strong>is</strong> twice <strong>as</strong> mine.</p>

<p>Normally you will not say "one times" in this scenario. 你的速度是我的一倍 (Your speed is one times as mine) sounds strange in both English and Chinese. You can just say "你的速度和我的一样快"/ “我们俩一样快" (You are as fast as me). </p>

<p>If other "comparing" words that means "more than"(e.g. A <strong>比</strong> B 大/高/快/etc.) show, then it's literal times + 1. Followed one has the same meaning of previous one.</p>

<p>你的速度 <strong>比</strong> 我快一倍。</p>

<p>You <strong>are</strong> one time faster <strong>than</strong> me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T18:59:30.220Z
2014-08-29T20:59:10.447Z
2014-08-29T20:59:10.447Z
dumduke
<p>I would like to have a clarification on this: I know that 倍 means "-times, -fold", but I don't understand why 一倍 seems to mean "twice as (fast)" in the following sentence: </p>

<p>开车最少比骑自行车快一倍。</p>

<p>while we have to use 两倍 in the following sentences:</p>

<p>8是4的两倍。
X贵两倍。</p>

<p>I don't know how to tag this question so feel free to change it.</p>

<meaning-in-context>
When to use 一倍 vs 两倍
# When to use 一倍 vs 两倍

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-26)

I would like to have a clarification on this: I know that 倍 means "-times, -fold", but I don't understand why 一倍 seems to mean "twice as (fast)" in the following sentence:

开车最少比骑自行车快一倍。

while we have to use 两倍 in the following sentences:

8是4的两倍。
X贵两倍。

I don't know how to tag this question so feel free to change it.

**Tags:** meaning-in-context


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-08-26. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

If some words that mean "is" (e.g **是/相当于** ) are used, then it's literal times.

你的速度 **是** 我的两倍。

Your speed **is** twice **as** mine.

Normally you will not say "one times" in this scenario. 你的速度是我的一倍 (Your speed is one times as mine) sounds strange in both English and Chinese. You can just say "你的速度和我的一样快"/ “我们俩一样快" (You are as fast as me).

If other "comparing" words that means "more than"(e.g. A **比** B 大/高/快/etc.) show, then it's literal times + 1. Followed one has the same meaning of previous one.

你的速度 **比** 我快一倍。

You **are** one time faster **than** me.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2014-08-26. Score: 4

**一倍**

**Tuttle's Learners**

> fold, time
>
> 这个学校的学生人数比我们学校多一倍。(=这个学校的学生人数是我们学校的两倍。)
>
> Zhège xuéxiào de xuésheng rénshù bǐ wǒmen xuéxiào duō yí bèi. (= Zhège xuéxiào de xuésheng rénshù shì wǒmen xuéxiào de liǎng bèi.)
> The student number of this school is twice as big as that of our school. (—> The student population of this school is twice of ours.)

多一倍 is translated, first in Chinese as 两倍 so it's easy to see how confusing this phrasing is! But....

**两倍**

**Oxford**

> ② [indicating difference in quantity]
>
> 这一带水稻产量比小麦高两倍
>
> The output of rice is three times that of wheat in this area

两倍 has become **three times** here(!).

**but**(!) - still from *Oxford*:

> 你的工资相当于我的两倍。
>
> Your salary is twice that of mine.

Basically you've really got to look at the context to figure out the meaning!

Your sentence above
`开车最少比骑自行车快一倍。` the 快 here has the same effect as 多 so it's really saying it's "one time as fast" which is really "twice as fast"...

Hope that makes sense

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Regarding the last paragraph, 比骑自行车快一倍 is not saying it's "one time as fast" but "one time faster", which is legitimately equivalent to "twice as fast".  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-08-27. Score: 4

Understand that you have an accpeted answer already and it's correct. I am adding this in hope to make it simple to understand:

一倍 : 100%  
两倍 : 200%

They are the same. So when you are saying 快一倍, it means `100% faster`, or `twice the speed`, which means 200% of the origin speed - 两倍速度. The confusion comes in because when 一倍 is used, we `ADD` the value by itself, while 两倍 we `MULTIPLE` the value by 2. And we all know that A + A (一倍) = 2A (两倍)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is exactly what I deduced from the accepted answer. That's a nice way of putting it though.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-08-26. Score: 1

I think the more correct way to use 一倍/兩倍 is answered by user3306356 and Caff Huang.

But, in most contexts, 快一倍 and 快兩倍 have just same meaning. Because if we use 快兩倍 as "x \* 3", the meaning will be too vague to understand.

If we really have to say something larger than two times of a value, such as "A = B \* 3", a more practical way will be "A是B的3倍" instead of "A比B高兩倍".


---

