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个人 (gè rén) — individual (as a person); personal (attributive use, e.g., 个人看法)

Definition

个人 means 'individual' or 'personal' — contrast with 私人 (private, as in private property 私人财产) and 个体 (a single entity, more formal/scientific). Use 个人观点 for 'personal opinion', 个人利益 for 'personal interest'.

noun
individual (as a person)personal (attributive use, e.g., 个人看法)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 个人。
    Měi gè gè rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ.
    Every individual has their own thoughts.
  • 个人。
    Zhè shì wǒ de gè rén yì jiàn.
    This is my personal opinion.
  • 个人，。
    gè rén Rèn wéi, jiàn kāng zuì zhòng yào.
    Personally, I think health is most important.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

个gèindividual
人rénperson

个 (individual) and 人 (person) together mean an individual person or oneself.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
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