各 (gè) — (determiner) each, every (used before a noun to refer to every individual member of a group); (adverb) each, separately (used before a verb to indicate that each individual does the action)
Definition
各 emphasizes 'each one individually' and commonly pairs with a possessive or verb to mean 'each has/does their own' (各自 = each on their own; 各位 = polite 'everyone' when addressing a group). Unlike 每, it stresses individual variety, not regularity.
pronoun
(determiner) eachevery (used before a noun to refer to every individual member of a group)
adverb
eachseparately (used before a verb to indicate that each individual does the action)
Examples
- 。gè Guó de wén huà bù tóng.Each country's culture is different.
- 各。Tā men gè yǒu zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ.Each of them has their own ideas.
- 各。Nǐ men gè zuò yí fèn zuò yè.Each of you does one assignment.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 夂夂zhǐsole of foot
- 口口kǒu
各 shows a sole of a foot (夂) coming into an entrance (口), for the sense of coming or entering.
Appears in
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