二来 (èrlái): secondly, ...

Meanings

1 secondly, ...
2 in the second place
3 and besides

Characters

二

(particle) reason marker

Examples

我不去：一来太远，二来没时间。

Wǒ bù qù: yīlái tài yuǎn, èrlái méi shíjiān.

I'm not going — for one thing it's too far, for another I don't have time.

二来这件事还需要她同意。

Èrlái zhè jiàn shì hái xūyào tā tóngyì.

Secondly, this matter still needs her agreement.

Tips

grammar

Used in the fixed listing pattern 一来…二来…(三来…) yīlái... èrlái... (sānlái...), introducing the second of several reasons. Each clause typically gives a separate reason supporting the same conclusion. Don't use 二来 alone without an earlier 一来.