个 (gè) - individual & single

个Tone 4

gè ｜ 3 strokes ｜ radical: 丨

枫惠

个 · gè

individual;

single;

unit;

general measure word for persons, objects, and abstract concepts.

individualsingleunit

Usage highlights

onethisthatwhicheachseveral

Synonyms

  • 各— each; every
  • 单— single; individual
  • 独— alone; single

Antonyms

  • 群— group; crowd
  • 众— many; multitude
  • 双— pair; double

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I have one book (一个书).
  • This person (这个人) is my friend.
  • Each person (每个人) has their own opinion.
  • I bought a few apples (几个苹果).

Collocations

  • one(一个)
  • this(这个)
  • that(那个)
  • which(哪个)
  • each(每个)
  • several(几个)

Idioms

  • Each has his strong points(各有所长)
  • To stand alone(个人独立)
  • Individual heroism(个人英雄主义)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally derived from 箇, simplified to 个 in modern usage.
  • The most common and versatile measure word in Chinese, often used as a default when the specific measure word is unknown.
  • Represents individuality and singularity in Chinese counting systems.

FAQ