个 (gè) — (classifier) general individual classifier for people and objects without a specific classifier
Definition
个 (gè) is the general-purpose classifier, the safe default when a noun has no dedicated measure word. 个人 and 个体 are NOUNS meaning 'an individual person' — not classifiers — so don't confuse the three.
classifier
general individual classifier for people and objects without a specific classifier
Examples
- 。Wǒ jiā yǒu yí gè rén.There is one person in my family.
- 。Zhè gè píng guǒ hěn dà.This apple is very big.
- 个？Nǐ yǒu jǐ gè péng you?How many friends do you have?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.
Grammar
Appears in
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