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个别 (gè bié) — (adverb) individually; one by one; (adjective) a few; exceptional; rare

Definition

个别 covers two distinct uses: as an adverb it means 'individually, one by one' (like 逐一); as an adjective it means 'a few, exceptional cases' — noting something rare rather than praising it like 优异.

adverb
individuallyone by one
adjective
a fewexceptionalrare

Examples

  • 个别。
    Wǒ men gè bié chǔ lǐ zhè xiē wèn tí.
    We handle these issues individually.
  • 个别。
    Zhǐ yǒu gè bié tóng xué chí dào le.
    Only a few classmates were late.
  • 个别。
    gè bié Qíng kuàng xū yào tè shū duì dài.
    Individual cases require special treatment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

个gèsingle
别biéseparate

个 and 别 both point to separation: single and apart, hence individual or exceptional.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 個; 个 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
固
固gù個ge
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.

Open 个 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Quantity & Amount

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